Vengeance, with a hint of Remorse
by TWilkins
Summary: The rebellion failed. The capitol won. But at least the bloodshed is over. However twenty four unlucky tributes will need to face the horrors of the Seventy Seventh Hunger game. Promised to be the worst one yet. Will the tributes suffer needless pain, or will the few seeds of dissent planted from the rebellion be enough to make a change? M for sexual content, bad language and gore.
1. Tribute Tasters

**Sorry that the story went for a while.**

**But it is back now.**

**And definitely NOT a SYOT.**

**Enjoy.**

**Just a list of the tributes i made with some help from friends.**

**A little taste of what is to come.**

**xxx**

* * *

District 1 Female: Topaz Colton- Topaz wants to be idolised, and loved. Will putting on a good show for the people of the capitol be enough, or will she fall under the weight of her own ego?

District 1 Male: Garnett Hayes -Garnett has been a cold and distant person ever since his brother died three years ago. Stricken with grief, he volunteers to the games to re-gain his family honour, but is a secret about himself threatening to lose it even more?

District 2 Female: Liana Keaten- She lost her mother, her sanity and her youth training for the games, but for Liana, this is not a game, but a chance to get a new life away from the father she hates.

District 2 Male: Lucien Claws- Lucien is a cold, harsh, cruel, killing machine. He has a desire to kill, or does he, are his threats hollow, or is there a deeper meaning there?

District 3 Female: Rayleigh Caliper: Rayleigh hasn't been able to put her trust in anyone for a long time. But with the games coming, she will need to open up to get their support, but is it too late?

District 3 Male: Adym Ollyvers- Stuck up, arrogant and ignorant. This twelve year old will need more than his ego to survive in an arena with no sponsors and a hell of a lot of hate, but will he do it alone?

District 4 Female: Rhine Summers- Go it alone Career tribute Rhine will kill anyone in her way to get respect from her district. But will her hostile attitude gain respect from sponsors, or make her hated?

District 4 Male: Ceres Sometimes- Strong and handsome, Ceres is a risk taker who is a little too lusty for his own good. He flirts with every girl in sight, but will that be his downfall?

District 5 Female: Orchid Whishart- Innocent little Orchid lives up to her namesake. Just as delicate as the flower itself, she will do anything in her power to get back home, but will that be enough?

District 5 Male: Mychal Kane- Nobody, not even his own parents, likes Mychal; he is cruel and spiteful and loves nothing more than to annoy others. But is his disrespectful nature going to help him when he needs someone to lean on?

District 6 Female: Enna Emerald- Hyperactive and beautiful, Enna seems like the perfect sponsor magnet. But is she too shy to really meet her potential?

District 6 Male: Vayne Harglade- A slightly unstable teenage prostitute, who volunteered so he could get away from the life he lived, through either victory or death. He doesn't care which.

District 7 Female: Alisha Rosa- A seventeen year old girl with a past of sexual abuse. Solemn and strong, Alisha will do what she needs to do to escape a corrupt man in her district.

District 7 Male: Ray Nightheart- Attention seeking, total loudmouth Ray is a little over his head. He is fast and agile, but is that really going to be enough against older, and stronger tributes?

District 8 Female: Franaelle Glassweaver- Love-struck from a young age, Fran had always thought herself inadequate. Will she ever get the love she so craves, or will she die alone and unloved?

District 8 Male: Peterson Loomer- Eighteen year old Peterson, has the patience and resourcefulness of any tailor. But in the end will his lusty nature be a blessing, or a curse?

District 9 Female: Erika Cinsero- Fifthteen year old orphan Erika always wanted an escape, but she never imagined the games would be her window. Will her distant nature be enough to win, or will she die at the hands of someone who she hates?

District 9 Male: Levyir Pulse- A teen who can stay happy and upbeat in almost any situation, Levyir is determined to survive. But will his tongue be enough to stop the blades of his enemies?

District 10 Female: Jodi Archer- Jodi is a strong, butch, powerful girl, and she has made it quite clear she is a threat. Will the other tributes leave this threat alone, or kill her first chance they get.

District 10 Male: Samyal Hames is a polite, innocent young boy who doesn't deserve to be in the games. But do the capitol care about that? Does anyone?

District 11 Female: Magenta Roxenne- Magenta is one of the most important people in district eleven, the mayors daughter. But her title means nothing in the Hunger games. As she will find out, the hard way.

District 11 Male: Ty Goodwin- Little is known about Ty. He took no tesserae, angered no peacekeepers. Is his reaping really that unlucky?

District 12 Female: A little fix thrown in from the capitol.

District 12 Male: Nathan Beddington- Nathan lost everything in the second rebellion, now he is in the games he will do anything to win so he can get revenge. But is he really dead inside, or is it all a ruse?


	2. One Reaping

Chapter 1. Reaping

The sun flickered down gently on the floor of the usually busy street. A street lined with shops and bars, usually teeming with people. Not today. Today a much bigger attraction was going to be taking place. The Reaping. Every teenager, between the ages of twelve and eighteen were required to take part in the Reaping, where one boy and one girl would be selected to participate in the dreaded Hunger Games. The Games were a death match, twenty-four go in and only one comes out. Well that is how other districts saw it. In district one, the district of luxury, people longed for the event. Not as much as the people from district two did, they really took it seriously. But it was still something people looked forward to in the district of luxury, a date marked on the calendar, along with Christmas and birthdays. District one loved the games, primarily, it was a chance for a child of a family to gain great honour and prestige, but mainly, the district saw it as a chance to dress in their best clothes and show off how rich they were, and with many families owning similar wardrobes filled of what was in fashion at the time, it was often impossible to call. At least it was. Now, it was something every adult realised they had been rebelling against less than a year ago now, and was something the Peacekeapers of the district were enforcing heavily. The reaping was due to start at twelve, and it was only half past ten. But already the arena was full to bursting, people being herded in the arena so that no last ditch attempts to stop them would occur, just a precaution really, but the Peacekeepers enjoyed pushing the self-riotous people of district one around, they needed to know their place.

* * *

"Emm?" Topaz said lazily, gesturing towards the form of her brother, who was slouched on the floor next to her.

He simply hummed in response to his name, not even turning to face his younger sister.

"I have always wanted to volunteer, you knew that!" She snapped, slightly annoyed at her brothers reaction to the knowledge she was planning to volunteer this year for the games.

He hummed again, not bothering to look at her.

"Oh why are you being such an idiot about all of this!" She snapped again, infuriated by her brothers lack of response. "LOOK AT ME!"

He flinched and turned his head slowly, until his light green eyes connected with hers, and a mischievous smile edged onto his features. "Prove you are worthy of being in the hunger games then sis." He said jokingly, moving into a headlong charge at her, which she narrowly avoided.

"Damn it!" She shouted in return, caught by the surprise, moving up onto the veranda of her house.

Emmett made a second lunge towards her, putting them in combat distance, where he made a punch towards his little sister, not at full strength, but enough to make her fall. She was back on her feet less than a second after she hit the floor, and vaulted over the bannister of the veranda, which was rather difficult in her white, lacy, knee length dress that she was wearing for the reaping. Her brother followed her seconds after, pursuing his sister towards the bottom of the garden, regardless of his knowledge that she was faster. Topaz's pastel green eyes found something which made them widen, and she made a beeline for a discarded broom lying on the floor, clearly being used to sweep some of the leaves of the front lawn. She launched the broom up into her hand with a swift movement of her foot, and held it as if it were a javelin. With a smile, she spun around and hurled it into her brother the bristled end of it taking its speed down a little, but not enough to really affect the power put behind her throw. The wooden broom sailed through the air, and caught her older brother on the arm, causing him to yelp with pain.

"See? I'm so going to win this game." Topaz said proudly, walking over to her brother, who was scrambling to his feet, to no avail.

"My arm is killing me now! Thanks for that!" He snapped, clearly irritated he had been beaten by a younger girl.

She chuckled softly. "Come on, I'll take a look at it for you big bro." She said squatting down to his level, with a huge smirk on her face.

* * *

"I'll make you proud bro." A voice muttered softly, looking at the silvery white gravestone with his brother's name imbedded on it. "I promise I'll make you proud."

The boy affectionately laid a bouquet of roses down upon the grave and gently took away the flowers that he had laid there the day before. Garnett truly loved his brother. He had been dead almost three years now; he was killed on live television. Shot in the neck in the seventy-fourth hunger games. By Katniss Everdeen. The very mention of her name made Garnett's blood boil. She may have tried to save the districts from the hunger games. But in his eyes she was a hypocrite. She partook in the games twice and killed a lot of tributes, including his brother. Garnett gently stood up, brushing the dirt from his knees, and walked away from the gravestone, gingerly fingering the simple stud in his right ear, a simple stud that his brother had given him for his fifthteenth birthday. He let a watery smile cross his lips for a few moments, before it rippled back to its usual face of slight pain. He missed Marvel dearly. He felt a little odd walking around in a tailored black suit and a silver tie, which his mother had made him wear, insisting that he had to look perfect for the reaping. With a painful grimace, he walked down towards the arena, determined he would volunteer, and win, for Marvel.

* * *

"Welcome. Welcome. The time has come to select one young man and woman for the honour of taking part in this year's annual Hunger Games." The almost comical voice of the man known as Jared Hoperacket sounded over the crowd who were gathered in the now clustered arena of district. "Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favour." Jared said, in his heavy capitol accent, happy when he heard a round of applause fill the arena. "Now for the eagle eyed amongst you, you may have noticed that this year I am the only one on the stage. That is because, due the rebellion, the previous game victors from district one were unfortunately killed in the process, meaning that this year tributes must learn without a mentor."

This thought didn't worry the crowd, but even so, most were distracted by the lewd outfit of Jared, wondering how people possibly wore things like that in the Capitol. The bright green t-shirt and short combination with the matching full length trench coat, and a hat, with baubles hanging from the rim, was almost casting light over the crowd. He also was wearing purple patterned stockings, which made most male members of the audience feel a little ill. He was also rather short, only just reaching above the microphone stand. The crowd inhaled a breath simultaneously as Jared walked over towards the nearest bowl and said, rather happily.

"Lady's first." He swirled his hand elegantly over the bowl, and plucked out a name. He looked at it for a second before she said. "Opal Mayflower!"

"I volunteer!" A girl shouted from the crowd, followed by groans and moans of annoyance from other members of the female column.

A girl stepped out of the column proudly, her long, wavy, light brown hair blowing softly in the breeze. Her knee length, lacy, white dress boasted her rather slender figure, making her look even more attractive than she already was. As she stepped up on stage, her proud smirk became prominent, and she threw a wink at the audience, which was followed by a rather wide collection of wolf whistles from the column of males.

"What is your name then?" Jared asked, pushing the microphone into the girls face.

"Topaz Colton." She returned proudly.

"Anything you would like to say?" Jared continued, holding the microphone in front of the girls face.

"Catch me if you can boys." She said swiftly in reply, throwing a confident wink at the column of males.

Jared giggled. "Well then my dear girl, let's see who else will be from your district." He continued smugly as he strutted over the bowl containing boy's names and plucked one out. "Garnett Hayes!"

"IF ANYONE VOLUNTEERS FOR ME THEY WON'T MAKE IT TO THE ARENA!" A cold, male voice bellowed across the stadium, causing silence to erupt in the male column. People knew who Garnett was, how distant he had become since his brother had died, and how he would probably follow up on this threat. The impressive form of Garnett strode into the aisle between the rows of boy's and girl's and walked down it, his tight black shirt showing his rippling muscles underneath. He got to the stage quickly and walked up on it, his body dwarfing that of Jared's and even the fairly tall Topaz only came up to his chin.

"Oh... Well… Um… Do you wish to say anything?" Jared said in a tone that did little to hide his fear of the much taller man.

"No. Just get me to the games." He returned, coldly and bluntly, not even looking at the shorter man.

"I think we are meant to shake hands first." Topaz said, with a slight chuckle, looking at the bigger boy with a devilish glint in her eye.

She stepped over to him, past Jared, and offered her hand to him. He looked at it for a few moments, contemplating shaking it, before he reached out and took it, and gave it a firm shake, before the two of them disappeared out of the arena, never to see the rest of district one again.


	3. Two Reaping

Chapter 2. Reaping

"So let's run through this again Liana. What do you do when someone…"  
"Just shut up Dad. I don't need to care about anything you say anymore. I'm volunteering, that should be enough to please you." Liana returned calmly, looking at her father with a look of pure hatred in her eyes.

"After all this time you still do not know your place. Pathetic girl." Her father spat, moving his arm violently to cuff her in the side of the face.

Liana took the hit boldly, refusing to give her father any satisfaction out of it, keeping her eyes glinting with icy hatred. Her father scowled and moved to give a second hit, this time a punch to the jaw, which she again took, with nothing more than a slight grunt. She could not however, stop the blood gently trickling from her split lip, or the tears that were beading in her eyes.

Her father let out a cold, mocking laugh, and walked away, muttering how pathetic she was, and how she definitely took after her mother. Liana lost it. She reached into her belt and took one of the throwing stars that were attached to it. Arching it into her hand, with a flick of the wrist she threw it with expert precision, time almost slowing down as it circled towards her father. The bladed star hit him in the back, where his spine was, with a rather sickening noise. Her father simply laughed and reached around to pull the star out, dropping the blood glistening star onto the floor whilst turning around to face his daughter.

"Looks like you do have claws. Let's see how well you use them." Her father said, with a cruel laugh, before he grabbed a sword from a rack to the side of him, his sword.

A wickedly curved blade that he used to win his own Hunger game, still a little stained from the blood of the tributes that had fallen upon it. He darted forwards, surprisingly agile for such a large man, and struck the ground that was centimetres from her foot, which she moved just in time. She squealed and took a jump backwards, moving another star from her belt and throwing it at him, which he deflected with his blade. The two of them engaged in a heated battle for a while, both getting rather close to killing the other. Throwing stars embedded every wall of the training room, and large sword gashes cut deeply in every surface around the room, neither daughter nor father let up their onslaught, but both were feeling the fatigue. Liana made a dash to one of the stars caught in one of the beams on the walls, and spun around, diving to the floor instantly to avoid the blade that was about to cleave her throat. Liana kicked out strongly and caught her father's hand with her heel, causing him to drop his blade. Quick as a cat, Liana was on him, hand-to-hand combat was imminent. She stuck at her father, putting her own twist on the moves that he had been teaching her ever since she was able to fight. She fended off some of his blows, but overall the man was stronger, and after a rather long struggle, he managed to pin her to the ground, rending her completely immobile.

"You're feisty, but that isn't enough to win you the games. You need control. Now go and clean yourself up, the Reaping is starting in less than an hour." Her father said boldly, running his finger across a gash on his lip. "Hurry up."

* * *

Lucien pouted as he walked by the military stronghold that stood strong in the centre of district two, the obstacle that the rebels couldn't overcome. It was this place that marked the end of the second rebellion, where Katniss Everdeen was shot and taken away, resulting in the main leaders of the rebellion being held by the people of the capitol. Many threats to end Katniss' life were given out to the main body of the rebellion, which soon caved in on itself, the main leaders were captured, and publicly beaten on live television until they passed out. Alma Coin, Katniss Everdeen, Gale Hawthorne, Finnick Odair, Johanna Mason, Beetee and Haymitch Abernathy were all taken on stage and publicly beaten, to enforce the capitol's power over the districts. Lucien had heard however that some of the capitols population were in fact in agreement with the rebellions opinion on the brutality of the games. Regardless, he would be the winner of the seventy seventh hunger games. He was certain of it. He continued walking down towards the arena where the Reaping would take place, noticing the increase in the number of people there was appearing in the road, all heading to the same place he was. The games were definitely in the favour of district two usually. This year especially. District two was the only district with mentors that were not 'dead' as the victors from the other districts were, although word soon spread that they were not dead as the capitol had led to believe, but simply imprisoned. Another advantage that the tributes from district two had this year was the fact that, being the only district not to rebel against the capitol, they were the most likely to get sponsors, and ultimately, get the essentials to survive. Lucien smiled as he approached the gate to the arena, where his finger was pricked and blood was taken. He stepped in proudly, muscles in his arm already itching to volunteer.

* * *

"Welcome. Welcome. The time has come to select one young man and woman for the honour of taking part in this year's annual Hunger Games." The giggly voice of the woman known as Caromelle Endevour sounded over the crowd who were gathered in the lands in front of the justice building of district nine. "Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favour." Caromelle said, in her firm capitol accent, a little giggle escaping her lips at the following cheer from the crowd.

Lucien frowned as he looked at the outfit of Caromelle, wondering how people possibly wore such ridiculous things in the Capitol. The bright yellow, rather provocative dress with the matching boots that came up to her mid shin, where seemingly hundreds of strips of material hung down nicely. She was also wearing a bright red cape that was made out of some very thin material. She had insane coloured hair, which was bright blue and had what looked like spoons placed inside it. To top off the outrageous outfit, she had a tattoo of an overly happy chicken plastered across her face. The crowd let out a cheer simultaneously as Caromelle walked over towards the nearest bowl and said, rather happily.

"Lady's first." She swirled her hand elegantly over the bowl, and plucked out a name. She looked at it for a second before she said. "Jane Hale!"

"I volunteer!" A number of girls shouted from the crowd, followed by squeals and shouts of protest from eachother.

One girl stepped out of the column firmly, wearing a backless turquoise dress studded with gemstones. She started walking towards the stage as a second; much larger girl stepped out behind her, moving to hold her in a headlock. Seconds later the second girl was on the floor, gasping for breath, with a rather large hole in her arm from the heel of one of the stiletto's worn by the smaller girl. As the victor stepped up on stage, her face remained expressionless and she glanced coldly down to the squirming girl lying on the floor.

"What is your name then?" Caromelle asked, pushing the microphone into the girls face.

"Liana Keaten." She returned coldly.

"Anything you would like to say?" Caromelle continued, holding the microphone in front of the girls face.

"This isn't just a chance for me to win, it is a chance for me to get my own life. Which is why you lost." She said swiftly in reply, sending an evil glare against the girl struggling to her feet.

"A powerful speech. Now then, let's see who else will be from your district shall we?" She said smugly as she strutted over the bowl containing boy's names and plucked one out. "Oscar Amelle!"

"I volunteer!" A strong, loud, voice rung out from the male column, revealing a male of average height, with rippling muscles in his arms, with a rather ugly scar running down from his shoulder on one of them. He confidently pushed his way through the crowd of boys and walked to the stage, shoving past one of the peacekeepers that got within arm's reach. He got onto the stage and was greeted by a microphone to the mouth and a question from the rainbow woman on stage.

"What is your name?"

"Lucien Claws." He returned, pushing past her to stand in the centre of the stage, much to her disgust.

"Well…" She said, quickly frolicking after him, her heels clopping against the floor. "Do you wish to say anything."

"Yeah. I'm going to win this." He returned bluntly, before walking towards the doorway that stood at the back of the stage, followed by Liana, who moved after him. Both closely followed by a frantic Caromelle.

"Wait! You need to shake hands… You need to shake hands!" She squealed after him, the sound of her heels clopping across the stage, almost a signal for people to begin exiting the stadium, including a large amount of crushed teenagers, wanting to volunteer for the chance of glory.


	4. Three Reaping

Chapter 3. Reaping

Adym sent a rather ugly look towards the girl who was looking at him, making his already unattractive face look hideous. The girl quickly turned back from him, and looked towards one of the boys stood next to her, laughing. This made Adym scowl. How dare anyone laugh at him, let alone a girl. He thought about going over to shout at her a little bit, but the woman on the desk in front of him beckoned him forward, to which he complied, wincing hard when she bled his finger and stamped it on the paper on her desk.

"Filthy cur…" He muttered under his breath, as the woman gestured for him to walk past, towards the grounds in front of the justice building, that was slightly damaged from an incident during the rebellion.

The grounds were an impressive size, and summed the district up perfectly, lone trees decorated with lights so small it looked as if the tree was simply emitting lights from the leaves and branches. A large, rather complex sculpture of electronics stood in the middle of the grounds, just in front of the justice building, the stone stairs of which were being used as a makeshift stage for the reaping. The sculpture in question was covered in glistening lights that turned on and off at pre-determined intervals, with motors and sound emitting devices working non-stop, delivering a rather harmonic melody. Adym cared for none of this. He simply viewed it, and everyone around him, as inferior. Inferior to him. His father had taught him everything he knew, which was a lot, and as he was one of the best workers in his factory, he deemed his boasting justified. As long as he had lived, he had never done anything to upset his father, sucked up to him the entire time whilst his sisters got into trouble. Adym was the golden child of the family, and nothing would ever change that. He would let nothing change that.

* * *

Rayleigh glanced around her at the mass of teenagers in the clearing, her eyes scanning over any boys, just in case the unthinkable happened and she was picked. She looked over some of the boys, judging who would be threatening. Her eyes caught some of a rather tall boy, with black hair and a handsome face, a boy that she knew. He used to be her best friend, until he started teasing her about her height. The teasing quickly became bullying and she just cut him, and most of her other friends out of her life, dropping out of school to go to work in the 'Ollyvers' factory, the biggest factory in the whole district. She pulled in some money for her family, which was good, unfortunately she was put on the same floor as the boss' son. A total stuck up little shit who was good for nothing, other than making people want to jam his head in a wiring cupboard. Sure enough, the next face she scanned to in the crowd was his, the slicked back, greasy ginger hair, with the truly ugly face, covered in freckles that contrasted with his sickly pale skin. The steel grey eyes connected with hers for a moment, before she spun around, to conceal the laughter building in her throat. She buried her face in the chest of her best friend Benz, and started laughing heavily. He gently and affectionately patted the back of her head as he softly spoke.

"It's okay. It's okay." He whispered as his fingers glided through her silky hair. "They aren't going to pick you?"

"What?" She managed, swallowing the laughter and looking into the warm brown eyes of the taller boy, with a huge grin on her face.

"Oh… I-I thought you were crying." Benz said sheepishly, looking down at the floor. This caused a second burst of laughter from the girl before a flat and emotionless voice said.

"Next."

Rayleigh scowled and turned to her, walking up to the desk, where the woman pricked her finger and stamped it hard on the piece of paper on the desk below her. She then gestured for her to go into the square and Rayleigh did so, walking into the mass of potential tributes before her. The square was the epitome of district three, electronics covering the expanse of the plot of land. Even the grassy verges were man made, not grass but a material of similar quality, with light emitting diodes placed within it. She knew that at night the whole place looked magical. The best feature of the plot was the magnificent sculpture that stood tall in the centre of it, covered in glistening lights that turned on and off at pre-determined intervals, with motors and sound emitting devices working non-stop, delivering a rather harmonic melody. She smiled as she caught sight of one of the motors on the sculpture, the propeller of that particular motor had _'Rayleigh and Todd forever' _engraved on the back of it. She giggled remembering when her work partner had done this, when they were building the sculpture in their factory, as a commission from the district mayor. She stopped her train of thought when a video began playing on the large screen to the left of the stage, the same video played every year.

* * *

"Welcome. Welcome. The time has come to select one young man and woman for the honour of taking part in this year's annual Hunger Games." The flamboyant and overly happy voice of the woman who had introduced herself as Epitome Emress sounded over the crowd who were gathered in the lands in front of the justice building of the district. "Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favour." Epitome said, in her very prominent and over-exaggerated capitol accent, a little saddened when she did not hear a round of applause. "Now for the eagle eyed amongst you, you may have noticed that this year, your districts usual escort I not here. That is because she showed signs of being with the rebels, so President Snow decided it would be best for me, a staunch through and through supporter of the capitol, to be the escort for you. Along with that, your previous winners are unavailable to be used as mentors during the training, so that is another task I have opted to fulfil, lucky you." She said, with a tone that none could decipher.

Not that many had paid attention to it, most were far too distracted by her ludicrous outfit. The capitol was known for its extravagance, but this was too much, even for them. She was wearing a skin tight, spandex jumpsuit in a bubble-gum pink and pastel green leopard print pattern, with a tawny coloured miniskirt over it. She had large black boots on, which supported hundreds of yellow stars over them, with a huge crystal on each ankle. Her skin was a bright yellow colour, which made her look rather frightening, with piercing red eyes that scanned the crowd looking on her. She even had dark purple whiskers coming out of her cheeks. People were so intently distracted that nobody noticed her walk across to the bowl containing girls names and pluck one out, only coming to their senses when she said.

"Lady's first." She unfolded the paper and looked at it for a second before she shouted. "Rayleigh Caliper!"

The entire flank of girls let out a sigh of relief as a relatively short girl, with curly brown hair stepped towards the clear aisle in the centre of the square, the other girls around her moving away. She continued walking towards the stage, when all of a sudden; she started to whimper softly, tears hitting the ground with little pats as she climbed the stairs towards a smirking Epitome.

"Anything you would like to say dear?" Epitome said roughly, pulling the girl up the last step and thrusting a microphone into her moist face.

She sniffed and shook her head, looking down at the floor, covering her face with her curls covering her sobbing features.

"Well then my dear girl, let's see who else will be from your district." She spoke smugly as she strutted over the bowl containing boy's names and plucked one out, fingering it teasingly before she opened it and looked at the name, holding the crowd in suspense before she shouted. "Adym Ollyvers!"

A few conspicuous giggles came up from the audience, but no movement. Occurred, which lead to the other teens glance around for the smug little shit.

"Adym Ollyvers!" Epitome shouted, with a cruel impatience in her voice. "Adym Ollyvers!"

A rather masculine voice shouted out from the crowd soon after she finished. "Here! He's here."

Moments later a tall, strong boy walked out of the crowd with Adym carried over his sholder easily. This sent laughter rippling through the columns of teens; nobody liked Adym. The taller boy half put, half threw Adym down onto the cold stone that made the pavement below them. The boy cursed at him feebly, but was ignored, as a rather muscled peacekeeper hit the older boy with a plastic baton, across the back of the knees. This brought a cruel glint into Epitome's eyes and she didn't even try to conceal her giggle as the tall boy tumbled to the ground, and Adym was dragged to the stage, shouting something about his father the whole way. District three had a slim chance this year, a little boy and a cry-baby. But at least the capitol would get some blood.


	5. Four Reaping

Chapter 4. Reaping

A gentle movement in the sand made the crab stop for a moment, before it continued moving. The pale sandy beaches of district four were large and the crab had a substantial distance to cover before it was back in the safety of the rock pool. The beach was always full of life at this time of the day, birds coming down to feast on the emerging insects, with the occasional turtle venturing onto the shore. The crab wove its way through a discarded fishing net that was strewn on the beach, dormant now after so many years of fishing for the dinner of various people. A usual sight of people wandering down past the beach towards the harbour didn't bother the crab in the slightest, it didn't occur to him that the huge column of people was any more than it usually would be, just simply the people going out to fish. Of course, the crab was free from the troubles of Panem, it didn't need to go to a Reaping. But maybe that was its weakness. A false scene of safety. A pair of light grey eye's settled on the crab, noticing how it struggled its way through the net, probably the biggest challenge it would need to face in its life. The crab felt the sand shift from under it, moments after escaping the fish catching device, and instinctively withdrew into its shell. A large black sandal pressed against the shell, lingering for a moment, before it crushed the thin carapace like it was a twig, the crab enduring a swift painful death, unlike the one his killer would likely receive. She was volunteering for the games. She sighed and ran her hand through the mass of long brown hair on her head that ran down to her elbows, dragging her fingers through some of the knots that were caught in it. She hadn't actually brushed her hair for two years now. When she was young, her older sister Analise brushed it for her, she had grown out of it of course, but when Analise died in a tragic boating incident two years ago, she couldn't brush her hair without crying. Of course she wouldn't have ever let her mother touch her, especially since she had told every other woman who went to her 'Sunday lunch discussion group' that her daughter was really weird and had been distant ever since the incident. Even more to knock her confidence, Finnick Odair, had rejected her application to join the resistance, claiming that he only needed victors from the games. Of course they were all killed during the rebellion, other than the 'everybody-look-at-me-because-I-am-so-gorgeous' Finnick, who had received a live beating in the capitol until he passed out, a moment that made Rhine smile, the first smile to cross her face in a long time. And the love of his life, who had been missing for a while, and was already presumed dead. That is when she had decided to volunteer for the games, and prove to everybody that she was more than a girl. She was a warrior. Of course, to prove this she couldn't join the rest of the careers, but that didn't bother her at all, she would simply win it all alone. Without help. A sadistic look glazed over Rhaine's eyes as she removed her foot from the mess of crab on the sand, and walked towards the column that trailed towards the arena. Her head was focusing on two things at that current moment in time, putting one foot in front of the other, and the method of how she would volunteer. She _was _going to volunteer.

* * *

"WAKE UP!"

Ceres shot up in his bed as he heard the screaming in his ear, instantly cracking his head against the low ceiling, retreating back into his cosy bed with a groan. He closed his eyes, before he heard a soft giggling from next to him. His eyes shot open and he looked at the source of the giggling. Shea. His girlfriend. He groaned, and sat up, slowly this time, rubbing his head.

"Get your sweaty arse up you lazy bastard." She said comically, tugging his arm towards her. "It's Reaping day!"

He almost flew out of bed at this last comment; he raced across his bedroom that resided in the top floor of a quaint fishing cottage, and launched his hands at the clock, which read _eleven forty-one _

He squealed in a high pitched tone, and ripped his clothes off, grabbing the clothes that his mother had put on the back of his door for him, completely oblivious to the knowledge that he was not alone. There was a simple, uncomfortably tight, white top, and a pair of tawny shorts, with sandals for his feet. The reaping was not as formal in district four as it was in other districts, and it was way too hot for formal clothes. He pulled the shorts on, and to his horror, he found they were just as tight as the top was. He silently cursed at his mother. She had recently bought a very old fashioned, tumble dryer, from a shady man from the capitol, who held an auction every now and then in the district. The tumble dryer was her new pride and joy, for weeks, every available article of clothing within sight of her would end up in it, and then shrink. He tried to run from his room, to get the Reaping as quickly as he could, and with the currently very crisp and tight shorts, he simply fell over. The girl giggled and went over to help him up.

"Ceres. You're so clumsy. Relax, we have fifthteen minutes to get there, and it takes five." She said, still giggling. "And I knew I would get you up like that, it was either saying it was Reaping day, or saying I was topless."

"Yeah well what can I say? I'm eager." He chuckled in reply, climbing to his feet. "If it only takes five minutes to get there…" He added, moving his hand towards the girl's left breast, cupping it roughly, and giving it a suggestive squeeze.

Shea squealed in response and pulled away from him. "No!" She screeched. "You can't go to the Reaping with stained shorts. It'll be embarrassing."

He grunted in response, and jogged off down the corridor, stopping after a few steps as his tight clothes restricted his body.

"Lazy bones." Shea smirked, looking at the boy, as the two of them descended down the stairs towards the door, heading to the Reaping that they were both sure to come out of. Free.

* * *

"Welcome. Welcome. The time has come to select one young man and woman for the honour of taking part in this year's annual Hunger Games." The sweet, high pitched voice of the woman who had been district four's escort for years sounded over the crowd who were gathered in the lands in front of the justice building of the district. "Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favour." She said, in her slight capitol accent.

Ceres frowned as he looked at the outfit of the woman, astounded by the fact that she was one of the less extreme dressers from the capitol, and being rather patriotic towards her district. The sea green, knee length dress she was wearing would have been rather nice on its own, even with the ocean blue sash around her waist. But then she spoiled it with the huge crown on her head that came complete with a veil of silvery silk, with small gemstones netted in it. Then to really finish it, she had a huge rope net draped around her form, which made her movements rather clumsy, as she walked over to the girls bowl, and tripped, catching her heel in the net, and stumbling, keeping her balance gracefully whilst sending a worried glance towards the chuckling audience.

"Lady's first." She said gracefully, trying to recover from the small mishap earlier, she placed her hand into the bowl carefully and pulled out a name. She looked at it for a second before she said. "Amalia Andes!"

"I volunteer!"

People scanned around for the voice when a girl stepped out of her column firmly, wearing some causal clothes that probably unintentionally highlighted her breasts. As she stepped up on stage, her face remained expressionless, sending cold glances towards the crowd of parents.

"What is your name then?" The escort asked, pushing the microphone into the girls face.

"Rhine Summers." She returned coldly.

A small storm of whispers shivered through the crowd at this name, she was known.

"Anything you would like to say?" The escort continued, holding the microphone in front of the girls face once again, sending a pout at the audience.

"Don't underestimate me just because you think I am unstable." She said coldly in reply, sending an evil glare at her mother, who was chattering to the people next to her in the audience.

"Err… Okay then, let's see who else will be from your district shall we?" She said nervously, leaning over to adjust the net caught in her heal before she strutted over the bowl containing boy's names and plucked one out.

Ceres looked at the girl on stage and really looked. He had heard about her before, but he had never imagined her to be so… Fit. He grinned unknowingly looking at the bust of the cold eyed girl before he heard.

"Meck Monsoon!"

"I volunteer!" He shouted, and before he even knew what he was doing, he was stood on the stage, standing a little too close to the busty girl.

"What is your name?"

He was too busy looking at the slightly shorter girl's cleavage, so she repeated herself.

"What is your name?"

"Oh! Yeah… Ceres Sometimes." He returned, eyes not moving from the chasm in front of him.

"Well… What about other times?" She said sincerely, quickly regretting it as she heard the laugh from the crowd. "Do you wish to say anything."

"Nah." He returned bluntly, still unsubtly staring at the breasts.

"You are not going to win the hunger games by looking at that. In fact, you'll probably be the first to die." Rhine said icily, causing Ceres to look up, not missing the blush that was slightly reddening her cheeks.

"We got four or five days before then. I think I can give them a little more attention." He replied with a wink, before shaking her hand firmly, and looking at the escort for instructions, which is when he noticed she had yellow lips.

"Let's go."


	6. A Capitol Mashup

Chapter 5. A capitol mash-up

"Sylvia oh it is grand to see you again!" Jenna said warmly, of course sounding proper with her firm accent.

"And you Jenna! Oh it has been far too long!" Sylvia replied, pressing a pouty kiss onto her friend's cheek, leaving a thick green lip mark on her face.

The two women giggled for a few moments before they both left the grand entrance hall they were stationed in, and entered a glass walled elevator, before pressing the button for the top floor. The two women then simultaneously produced make up from their clutch bags, and used the slightly reflective glass as a mirror to apply some final touches. The two women applied a thick layer of powdery white substance onto their faces, then touched up their lips, with tubes of identical lipstick, one in a 'District seven' which was a thick forest green, the other in 'District twelve' which was a deep black.

"Oh! We use the same brand!" Jenna declared, before both women burst into laughter.

For whatever reason, in the capitol, using the same brand of any product was declared a hilarious occurrence, and so everyone would laugh when it occurred, which was seldom as there were around eighty six thousand brands of lipstick in the capitol. Although truthfully, most were made by the same cosmetic, simply branded differently to increase sales. The two women stepped out of the elevator in the top floor, and walked out into the modern corridor.

"I love the dress! Is it new!" Jenna said to Sylvia, gesturing to the article of clothing that couldn't really be considered a dress, more like an orange flannel that covered her breasts, and a thong that had some frilly tassels draped down the sides. She was also barefoot.

"Oh yes! My stylist made it for me!" She replied, grinning from ear to ear. "And your dress is also gorgeous!"

The other women smirked, and gave a small twirl in her dress, which looked very similar to the dress Katniss Everdeen had worn during her interview before the seventy fourth Hunger Games, but with about seven huge bows hanging off of the side of it. "It is a Cinna replica! Oh that man did have good taste!"

"But he was working with Kat…" Sylvia started, before she shut herself up and glanced around nervously.

The two women looked at each other, before they chuckled with laughter.

"Oh don't worry dear! I forget that her name is…" She glanced around. "Taboo!"

The two women both laughed again, before they knocked on the door to a room, which was swiftly opened by an identically pale woman, wearing a dress that was very tight and captured her form perfectly, made out of cotton wool. She moved out of the way, and then carefully held her bright green wig in place, making sure it didn't fall off her head.

"Lopi! The girls are here!" The woman on the door screamed, leading the two girls into the lounge, where a woman wearing a dress that flowed about three meters taller than she was, with a huge, what could only be described as a lampshade, on her head, stood up and gave them a wave.

"You two remember Lopi correct!" The cotton wool woman asked, looking at the two new girls, who nodded.

"Of course!"

"How could we forget!"

The two said simultaneously, both working their way to a see-through sofa in the centre of the room, facing a huge flat screen television.

"Oh Jenna darling! I must thank you for lunch yesterday, it was exquisite!" Lopi said, smiling at the other woman.

"Oh nonsense! It was Paveleigh's idea!" Jenna replied, gesturing at the cotton wool girl.

"Well we all enjoyed ourselves!" Sylvia said, with a toothy grin.

All of the women began laughing then, their high pitched giggles almost shattering the windows.

"Oh girls! I have a brilliant idea of what to do for tonight!"

The three other girls looked at their cotton draped host with puzzled expressions on their faces.

"I recorded district five, six and seven on Earth Plus! We can watch them all tonight!"

The three women were brought into hysterical excitement over this, despite seeing them all before, they _had_ to watch them again.

* * *

"Oh she is adorable! But she won't get far!" One of the women yelled at the television, who had yelled it however, was a mystery; all of them had the same voice.

The women were currently watching the district five reaping, and were looking at a young girl called Orchid Whishart, wearing a knee length white dress, who was currently looking at the camera with pure fear.

"Anything you wish to say my dear?" The district five escort said to the young girl.

"I-I don't deserve to die…" The little girl said shyly, causing the three women to erupt into laughter.

It took them a moment to compose themselves, and they then went back to watching the Reaping, and saw a young boy, by the name of Mychal Kane, get Reaped, who simply walked up to the stage unemotional, and didn't really say anything when asked, and his outfit was also fairly bland.

"He is boring!" One of the women cooed.

"He won't get any sponsors if he acts like that!" Another chimed in, with a smile.

The women then got involved in some mindless chatter, as Paveleigh moved to place the next Reaping on. The next district was district six, which was probably the scummiest of all the districts, being full of morphling addicts and whores. The three women then began saying whether the people whose faces were caught by the camera, were addicts or whore's, by shouting either 'Whore' or 'Addict'. This little game amused the women greatly whilst the introductions went on, but they quietened down once the name had been drawn, and awaited it to be called.

"Enna Emerald!" The escort shouted, and the three women watched eagerly as a tall, slim, bronze skinned girl walked out of the mass of people in the crowd of the now relived girls.

She had hip length, curly black hair and, as a close up told them, honey brown eyes.

"Whore!" Jenna shouted, met by giggles from the other girls.

"No! Addict! Look at the bag's under her eyes!" Lopi chimed in, causing all of the girls to laugh.

The girl fearfully walked towards the stage, glancing nervously at things around the area she was in. She patted up to the stage and stood looking down at her feet, her slightly dirty beige dress shuddering from the vibrations of her shivering form. It was obvious to all that she was crying her eyes out, despite being one of the oldest tributes in the games.

"Anything you want to say?" The escort asked the trembling girl, holding the microphone to her face.

The audience and listeners then heard a faint "You're going to be okay." Whispered over and over again, this made the four women 'aww' in pity, before laughing at how pathetic the girl was being. The women giggled for a while longer, and then stopped abruptly when they missed the name of the Reaped tribute. Not that it mattered, there was a volunteer. A thin, pale skinned boy who was wearing a pair of formal black trousers and a suit jacket, with no shirt underneath. When the boy got to the stage, the escort asked him his name, which was Vayne Harglade. When she asked him if he wanted to say anything, he replied. "Yeah. I want to die."

This led the women to go silent for a moment as the program drew to a close, and continued on to the introduction sequence of the Caesar Flickerman show, before it ended. The women caught each other's eyes, and all began to laugh, yet again. The women continued with their giggling for a few moments, before they softly began to chatter about the districts that had already been Reaped, paying particular attention to the rather perverted male from district four, and the mysterious, handsome boy from district one.

* * *

Soon enough, the women had discussed the matters of all the so far Reaped tributes, and had settled down to watch the next Reaping, in district seven. District seven was usually one of the nicer districts, always green and pretty. Well it was at the time of the year the Reaping would occur, which was all the capitol ever saw of the district. The two tributes that were obtained from this district was a tall, beautiful girl with olive skin and thick, curly, dark brown hair that hung down to her shoulders, called Alisha Rosa, who had volunteered. She had beautiful, wide, green eyes and a very muscled body, that her white, slutty dress that she had obviously been made to wear. The boy had been Reaped, and was rather short for his age, that was most likely fifthteen. He had made a few comments about how it was unfair, but the escort, nor anyone else, paid him any attention, and simply got on with wrapping up the reaping.

"District eight is live tonight!" One of the women squealed, which lead them all to make the pig-like noise. Paveliegh quickly flicked the channel over to where the Reaping was, just in time to hear the male escort call out Franaelle Glassweaver, who was an average height, feminine looking girl with sickly pale skin. Her hair was light blonde and messy, and hung haphazardly over her doll-like face. She was wearing a rather expensive looking dress, that highlighted her dainty features. The boy from the district was then called, Peterson Loomer, a large, bear like boy, with short, wavy, wheat blonde hair and deep green eyes. The boy was about eighteen, but looked about to cry, his eyes were slightly bloodshot, and his lip was curled, he couldn't say much when he got to the stage, but even half crying, the boy looked rather intimidating. The women looked smugly at each other, silently acknowledging that this year would be a good year for the games. Suddenly a loud exclamation came from the host of the evening, causing the other three women to look up in shock.

"PROGRAME CLASH! PART RECORDED!"


	7. Nine Reaping

Chapter 9. Reaping

The morning sun bathed the field of golden barley in a gentle glow. It was early, but peaceful. Even in the remote corners of district nine, peace was a seldom found thing; there was always something to do. Today was no different to the others. Except one crucial detail. The Reaping. Levyir knew that the odds were on his side, six pieces of paper within thousands. But he still couldn't help wondering what would happen if he _was_ chosen for this year's event. He wondered if the capitol would come up with cruel and deadly things that would cause agonising deaths to the tributes. That was likely. The rebellion was still fresh in everybody's minds, especially the minds of the leaders of the capitol. Levyir shrugged away the thoughts as he carefully drew his aged hand scythe across a small section of the barley, slicing it from the ground. He knew the method of doing this. He had worked on the barley crops since he was ten, every summer day; it was a second nature now. A few slices later, the tanned boy had cut the barley that he needed, and with a quick sweep of his bare arm, he had the barley bundled up and resting on his left shoulder, ready to carry back to the farmhouse. He drew up his sickle wielding hand and extended his long fingers to remove the blonde hair from his sapphire eyes, and with a sigh, he glanced over at the rising sun. Today would be a hot day. He smiled softly and walked back to the farmhouse, carrying the barley with him, his bronzed, bare arms showing some small muscles that sat comfortably on them. His dirty blonde hair was naturally a fair brown, but months spent working in the sun, his hair was bleached permanently, not that it bothered him in the slightest, it complemented his eyes. His hair was a gentle length and it fell lazily just over the tops of his ears, the longest point being his neck, which it fell to the centre of. His fringe was fairly short and floppy, but it was often held up, to keep it out of his eyes, by a sticky fermented barley solution which had the consistency of slime. Before reaching the house, the blonde stopped at the almond tree's that sat on the edge of the plantation, and picked a handful of the nuts hanging on the branches, before placing them in his pockets and moving back towards the house. The wooden floor of the veranda made little noise when his quiet footsteps reached it, and he carried the barley into the kitchen, where a large cauldron of boiling water sat over the open fireplace, with a smaller cauldron also boiling water on top of the stove. Levyir placed the bundle of barley on the kitchen surface and began work on it, cutting the tough, fibrous outer hull from the plant, before preparing the barley itself into fine pieces of grain. He quickly moved the product into the larger cauldron, almost filling it with the flour-like substance, before he moved on to placing the almonds into the smaller cauldron. Leaving the pots to simmer, Levyir quickly took his scythe back into the barn, checking to lock it up securely before he moved back to the kitchen, where he waited for his porridge to be ready, and his marzipan, to give his family a small boost for the upcoming event, one that he suspected they were dreading more than him. As the boy wandered out of the room, he glanced into the mirror on the side of the hallway, and admired his own smile. A smile that had been present for the duration of the warm, sunny morning.

* * *

The floor creaked loudly, and a harsh voice filled the musky air of the room. She didn't really pay much attention to it though. Erika simply sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes, ready for the onslaught of chores she would have to do, the same as she did every other day. She was the oldest in the orphanage and was in charge of all of the harder tasks. Anything that involved something sharp, or heavy, or potentially dangerous, she had to do. A rather cruel scowl possessed her features when she saw out of the corner of her eye, another girl started to cry. She was twelve years old. Erika prepared to shout at her for being such a baby, when a word escaped the onslaught of tears and whimpers. A word that everybody dreaded. Reaping. Erika's brain flooded with a grim reminder of the upcoming day as she clambered out of her bunk, glancing at the peach coloured dress hanging at the end of her bed. It was a strapless thing that her mother had passed onto her before she had died. Normally, Erika would have never worn it, partially because it was a dress, and she despised such feminine clothes, and partially because it was her mother's old dress. But it was the Reaping day. The one day of the year that it was expected of you to dress formally and put fake heirs on. Erika snorted loudly, enough to cause the other girls to look up at her, before quickly looking back down again. They knew their place. Erika may have been only fifthteen years old, but she was an intimidating girl. She quickly pulled the dress on, a little surprised at how perfect it fit her, and began moving out of the room. She just wanted to get it all over and done with. Didn't everybody? But before she could leave the dark musty corridors of the rather run down orphanage, she was stopped by a soft masculine voice, one that emerged from the shadows along with its owner. A tall thin lipped man with a pair of oval spectacles that sat tightly against his face, his greying hair pulled back into a taught ponytail at the back of his head.

"Erika?" He asked, keeping his tone soft; Erika was temperamental on the best of days, today was more stressful than most.

She looked at the man, and simply hummed in response, edging him to continue.

"The day you came here, you had something with you, a bracelet." He said, still soft, pulling a small ring of beads from his pocket. "I think it is about time you had it back."

Erika took it of him cautiously, and looked down at it. It was a black piece of thread, with small silver beads around its length, and overall it was very thin. A small white, porcelain dove was fixed to one of the beads, and looking at it, gave Erika a small, warm ripple of emotion inside her chest. "You had no right taking this." She returned to the man coldly, before turning her back to him and moving towards the exit, desperately holding back the tears that threatened to escape her eyes. She remembered the bracelet.

* * *

"Welcome. Welcome. The time has come to select one young man and woman for the honour of taking part in this year's annual Hunger Games." The bubbly voice of the woman known as Melphine Andred sounded over the crowd who were gathered in the lands in front of the justice building of district nine. "Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favour." Melphine said, in her strong capitol accent, a little saddened when she did not hear a round of applause. "Now for the eagle eyed amongst you, you may have noticed that this year I am the only one on the stage. That is because, due the rebellion, the previous game victors from district nine were unfortunately killed in the process, meaning that this year tributes must learn without a mentor."

This thought worried some members of the crowd, but most were distracted by the garish outfit of Melphine. The bright orange dress with the matching cropped feather jacket, and the hat, with feathers in the shape of a peacock's tail, was almost emitting luminescence over the crowd. She had even dyed her skin, a little bit, going from a normal peach tone to a slightly blue tinged one. The crowd inhaled a breath simultaneously as Melphine walked over towards the nearest bowl and said, rather happily.

"Lady's first." She swirled her hand elegantly over the bowl, and plucked out a name. She looked at it for a second before she said. "Erika Cinsero!"

The entire flank of girls let out a sigh of relief as a rather short, tanned girl, stood glued to the spot, looking at the stage in total disbelief. The girls around her moved away, and she still stood frozen in fear, when all of a sudden, her fists clenched and she made a stoic march up towards the stage, her face emotionless.

"Anything you would like to say dear?" Melphine said gently, holding her microphone in front of the girls face.

"I-I… I wanted to get away from the orphanage here… But I didn't think this would be how I would get away from it." She said softly in reply, looking at the floor nervously.

"Well then my dear girl, let's see who else will be from your district." She spoke smugly as she strutted over the bowl containing boy's names and plucked one out. "Levyir Pulse!"

The reaction of the crowd this time was different, people knew who this was. He was from the richest family in the district, who owned the barley farm on the border. He was confident in his manners, he stepped out of the crowd of happy boys and walked strongly down the aisle, a smile plastered to his face, almost oblivious from the cries of pain from the people that were his family, screaming at him. He was wearing a pair of tight black shorts, that came down to his knees, and left little to the imagination, he was also wearing his boots, something that he required to wear in the fields, there were snakes about. For his torso, he had donned a skin tight, black leather shirt, complete with lace up sides to pull it tightly around his rather thin figure.

"Well young man. You seem awfully happy. Did you want this to happen?" Melphine asked slowly, as he reached the stage, pushing the microphone into his face.

"I could frown until the sun explodes, but that isn't going to change the fact I have been reaped." He said in return, with a heart-melting smile dousing his features.

"Well district nine has its tributes. Happy hunger games!" The woman yelled excitedly. "Now shake hands."

The two tributes turned to face each other, and moved into a firm handshake, eye's connecting with a determined passion, knowing, soon enough, they would probably need to kill each other.


	8. The Caesar Flickerman show

Chapter 7. The Caesar Flickerman show.

"…And introducing your host Caesar Flickerman!" The voice of the commentator sounded over the crowd, who were in an uproar as soon as Caesar spun around in his chair. His hair, eyelids and lips were currently a deep violet colour, and were rather, extravagant to say the least.

"Welcome Everybody!" Caesar yelled, smiling at the crowd's reaction. "Today we have a special treat for you. Live interview with head gamemaker Tobius Megalore and we will be tuning in live to the district twelve reaping!"

A few changes of light occurred and revealed the head gamemaker, sat comfortably in the chair opposite Caesar, his wild, shaggy green locks of hair hanging haphazardly over his cheeks.

"So. Mr Megalore, we have all seen the faces of the current twenty two tributes, but what about the information you have managed to get from the peacekeepers of the district?"

"Well Caesar. I have volumes of information for you. Shall we proceed chronologically?" He said, gesturing to a screen behind the chairs.

The screen shot into life, as a large portrait of Topaz Colton emerged on it.

"Topaz Colton, seventeen, birthday on the last day of training so she will be eighteen when the games begin. She has one brother, who she loves very much. She is fast, and her dream is to be idolised. Her mother died when she was born and she has been training for the games for a long time." Tobius said firmly, before the screen changed to a picture of Garnett.

"Garnett Hayes. Eighteen. People don't know too much about him other than he has been distant ever since his brother died. His brother, Marvel Hayes, died during the seventy fourth hunger games, he was killed, by the girl on fire. I think Garnett could be the one to watch out for in these games."

Tobius continued through the process of the tributes, describing just enough about each one for the ratings on the show to increase, grinning like a mad man throughout the entire speech.

"Jodi Archer. Seventeen. She grew up in a big family, and she was brought up on one of the biggest ranches in district ten. She is a little bit of a tomboy and she is a butch girl. She was taught a little bit about hand-to-hand combat before the games, and she is strong enough to do some damage to the other tributes. Personally, I have a feeling that Jodie could be the dark horse of this year's game." Looking up at the large facial picture of the girl in question that was on the screen behind him.

Jodi was somewhere between tomboyish and normally girly, with short, spiky, dark brown hair. Her eyes were ice blue and very pretty and feminine looking, not really suiting the rest of her. She was fairly muscular and tall, from what people could remember from the Reaping, and she was pale, with her body covered in freckles. The picture of Jodi soon shifted into a picture of a boy, younger than her, who had short scruffy brown hair that slightly curled at the end. His face was very freckled underneath the dirt that dusted his pale skin, and his cheeks and lips both had little colour in them. His eyes were red and a little swollen, as if he had been crying a lot, but were a warm hazel colour, which didn't really suit the terrified look on his face.

"Samyal Hames. Thirteen. He lives with his mother and father in district ten. His mother is unemployed and his father has a low paid job. His mother is devastated that her son is going to be entering the games. And his father is thrilled, and thinks he can win." The crowd began to giggle at this last comment and Caesar turned from the screen and threw a wink at the camera.

"Well thank you for tuning in! We'll be back after the break for a rundown on the district eleven tributes, a little insight to the arena, and the final Reaping! Stay tuned for more!"

* * *

"Welcome back to the Caesar Flickerman show! With your host. Caesar Flickerman!" The commentator said, as once again the lights turned on and bathed Caesar and Tobius in light. Seconds after that the screen lit up with the face of a tribute a girl with curly, caramel coloured hair, with dark skin and brown eyes. She had a slight frown on her face and was giving the camera a death stare, but other than that, it was a nice picture.

"Magenta Roxenne. Fifthteen. Little is known about Roxenne other than that she is the daughter of the mayor of district eleven. We know that she is rather confident about the games, especially after her 'Remember me now, because you won't forget me later' comment from her Reaping. She could have a good shot at the victory. She might not. We'll need to wait and see." Tobius said confidently, as if the speech was very well rehearsed.

The next face on the screen was a dark skinned boy, with dark brown hair that was rather short, and big, dark brown eyes. He again, had his face in a frown, with a death stare at the camera.

"Ty Goodwin. Seventeen. Even less is known about Ty, he has had no run in's with the peacekeepers, and has never taken tesserae. He must just be really unlucky to have been chosen."

"He sounds like one of the one's we will need to keep an eye on." Caesar said happily, grinning at the crowd.

"That he does."

"Now. What ideas do you have for this year's arena? We are all dying to know!"

"Well." Tobius began, not wanting to give too much away. "It will be a large tropical island. With the cornucopia in the middle, and seven distinct areas around it."

"What are these seven area's then Tobius?"

"There will be…" He stopped, thinking again about if it was wise to tell them all. He then decided that no matter what he told them, they would watch it anyway, so went on with the truth. "There will be a large costal area, with a long sandy beach, which will go out to the open ocean, which will contain a large quantity of salt, to prevent the tributes drinking it. There will be a large mountain on the island, that will be nice and inhospitable, just how we like it. We will have a large lake near the cornucopia, with a surrounding open grassland, as a source of water for the tributes. The majority of the island will be a tropical rainforest, and will be hot, we will make sure of that. There will be some catacombs inside the mountain, as a shelter for the tributes. Along with a small cluster of wooden shacks that the tributes can hide in if they wish. And my personal favourite feature is a large ravine that will span the island, with few crossing points."  
The crowd let out a roar of approval, and Tobius smirked happily, before Caesar stole his thunder.

"Well it all sounds frightfully exiting! But even better than that… District twelve!"

* * *

"Welcome. Welcome. The time has come to select one young man and woman for the honour of taking part in this year's annual Hunger Games." The happy voice of Effie Trinket sounded over the crowd who were gathered in the rubble strewn lands in front of the wrecked justice building of district twelve. "Happy Hunger Games. And may the odds be ever in your favour." Effie said, in her strong capitol accent, looking over the crowd.

Effie remembered exactly what she had been instructed to do, by President Snow himself.

"I think, for a change. We should start with the gentlemen." She said shakily, looking at the small crowd gathered before her. Usually the square would be filled by the amount of youths in the district, today there was not. There was a worryingly small amount of teens stood amongst the rubble. She walked over to the bowl filled with boys names, and dipped her hand in, pulling a name out of it.

"Nathan Beddington!" She called, immediately spotting the boy climb over a pile of bricks and walk towards the stage. He was tall and gaunt, with very pale, slightly dirty skin with dark hair and green eyes, his hair being scraggly and messy.

He walked up to the stage with a fairly stony face, showing no emotions at all. Effie was a little confused by his lack of response, before she remembered that a death in the games would probably easier than a life in this half destroyed district.

"Do you wish to say anything?" Effie asked, moving her microphone to his mouth, carefully holding back the giant blue bow on her head, preventing it from hitting the boy in the face. Nathan didn't even acknowledge it, just stood, looking at the floor, which is when Effie saw his arms. His arms were covered in cuts and scars that criss-crossed his skin and looked very painful. He was obviously not going to talk to her. Effie backed away, and spun around, the blue corset she was wearing forcing her to go slower than she would have liked. She approached the girls bowl, and dipped her hand in silently, dreading the next part. She opened the paper up slowly and looked at the name written on it in neat black writing.

_Alma Sae_

Effie wanted to read out the name of the slightly dysfunctional girl who was in the district courtyard that second. But Effie couldn't face signing her own death warrant, and with a deep sigh, she lifted her head up and shouted.

"Primrose Everdeen!"


	9. Training

Chapter 8. Train-ing.

The large metal train drew to a halt once again, and another two tributes got onto it, the engine purring back to life as it moved onwards down the track. The system of tribute collection this year was different; some of the train's had been damaged in the rebellion and so the capitol had commissioned four trains, each to travel to three districts. The escort's had their own section, and the tributes had to share a particular area, which would help with bonding. Like anybody was in the mood to bond. Peterson sat lazily on one of the comfortable sofa's that was positioned against the wall of the train, allowing Peterson to look out of the window, it was the most comfortable thing he had ever sat on. His head was still busy running through everything he had faced during that last day. He had been Reaped, had a teary goodbye from his parents and sister, and then had to say goodbye to his two best friends. And Peterson hated goodbyes. His district partner Franaelle was also sitting in the carriage, but was eating some of the food laid out for them, savouring each delicate mouthful of the food. Peterson barely looked up as the carriage door swung open and two more tributes walked in, accompanied by a cheery looking escort, who said little other than to enjoy themselves, before she left the carriage, leaving the two of them simply stood in the middle of a lavish room, looking around aimlessly. Peterson settled down into his sofa and placed his head against the window, enjoying the hum that the train made when it moved onwards, before someone started to speak.

"Hey. I'm Levyir. You can call me Lev. District nine. And this is Erika." The boy said enthusiastically, looking at the two people already sat in the room.

Peterson looked up at the newcomers, he hadn't been to district nine, so he didn't realise that it was obviously a sunny district. Both of the tributes were tanned, the boy with fair hair that was styled so it was not in his sapphire blue eyes, whist the girl had a light brown hue, that was braided and ran down to the centre of her back. The girl had a peach coloured, knee length, dress on, whilst the boy looked as though he was wearing some kind of fetish attire. A skin tight leather top and shorts, with a pair of large leather boots did give of that impression. Peterson felt himself warmed by the smile of the boy, and held his hand out politely.

"Peterson." He said, Lev giving his hand a quick shake.

"I'm Fran." The girl said, sitting up from her place at the table, wiping her mouth with the back h=of her hand. "District eight."

Erika moved towards the food that stood upon the large banquet table in the corner of the carriage, Lev moving towards Peterson, taking a seat on the floor next to the sofa the older boy was perched on.

"I can move up if you want?" Peterson said quickly, thinking that the boy had sat on the floor because he was taking up the whole sofa.

"No don't worry. Floor is comfy enough for me." The boy replied, easing himself into the lotus position. "What's your story?"

"Ah average. Had to drop out of school so I could work to help feed the family." Peterson said, dismissing the younger boy's question.

"What kind of work?"

"Err… Tailoring… Like the rest of my district…"

"Ah. Okay, I was just expecting everybody to have some form of prostitution sob story. Especially the hot ones." The younger boy said, smiling cheekily at the older boy.

Peterson couldn't resist a chuckle. "Bet the peacekeepers loved your sense of humour. How many lashes have you had?"

"Lashes? None? Why? As in like being whipped?"

"None! Never? How?"

"I'm good?"

"Shit. I have had hundreds. Me and my mates were always in trouble. Like constantly!"

"Well I haven't really had many run ins with the peacekeepers… I lived on a huge barley farm on the border between nine and ten. As long as we produced a big enough yield, the peacekeepers left us alone. We always had enough barley left over to trade, or eat ourselves." The younger boy said, looking at the older boy with big eyes.

The two boys sat in silence for a few minutes, slightly amazed about how different things were between districts Eight and Nine, before Peterson asked something else.

"What is with the boots?"

Lev smiled, and ran a finger gently along the side of one of them. "They are sexy." He whispered seductively, before he started to laugh. "There are lots of snakes in the fields, they cannot bite through thick leather."  
Peterson rolled his eyes, looking back out of the window, his thoughts drifting back towards his home, wondering if he would ever actually see it again.

* * *

Jodi scowled, and looked down at the floor, the train was not something she was looking forward too. She liked animals, she would ride horses, not big metal tubes that could go hundreds of miles an hour. Her mind was still aching with the memories from the goodbyes she had just given, her two cousins both being very difficult to leave, her uncle had also joined them, and him being closer to her than her own parents were, made it very hard to stop the flow of tears in her eyes. Her parents goodbye had also been tedious, but mainly because they had begged her to stay alive and come back, which she knew was something near impossible to do. She glanced down at her fellow district tribute, who was huddled on the floor, softly sobbing, clearly distressed by the situation. His mother had given him something just as they left the justice building, that their Escort had promptly taken away, before Samyal could even take a look at it. He was having a hard enough time as it was, and that had not helped. Their escort was currently looking at himself in the mirror, adjusting his hair, for the fifth time since she had first seen him. She took a chance.

"Excuse me?" She said strongly, moving towards him.

He simply hummed in response, not moving his eyes from the mirror. This made Jodi scowl, and she reached down and pulled the mirror from his grasp, without him even having a chance to react.

"H-how dare you!" He spat, his high pitched voice making him sound ridiculous.

"Mirror for the bag." Jodi said softly, as to not alert the peacekeeper that was standing nearby, pointing at the bag Samyal's mother had tried to give him.

"N-no!" He returned simply, producing a second mirror from his pocket, as the almost silent train drew into the station, purring gently as it slowed.

The escort walked up to the door of the train, which slid open seamlessly, followed closely by Jodi, with a softly sobbing Samyal in tow. The two tributes followed their blue clad escort down the main corridor of the carriage, moving to a door that the escort opened, and gestured for the tributes to go in first. The three of them walked forwards now, the first thing they saw being a silver table knife embedded in a chair that was serving as some form of target, with a couple of other knifes scattered on the floor around it. Standing at the other end of the carriage, where four teenagers. A huge, bear like boy, with wheat coloured blonde hair, a thinner, more tanned, leather clad boy, also with blonde hair, a girl with dark hair in a long braid down the centre of her back and a light blonde haired, sickly pale girl, who was holding another knife.

"What is going on here! This is ludicrous!" The escort yelled, making the four tributes currently in the train carriage jump, looking at the new people in shock.

"No more ludicrous that taking a present off of a young boy." Jodi returned snidely, seeking the aid of the other tributes to get Samyal his present back, looking at the man behind her with an evil glare.

"You took a present off of a little boy? Wow. That is almost as sick as taking twenty-four teenagers from their homes and making them battle to the death… Oh wait. You are already doing that." The tanned boy said dryly, looking at the escort with cold blue eyes.

"Whatever!" The escort yelled, dropping the bag on the floor, and letting out an exasperated huff. "I was going to give it to him now anyway." He added, before he stormed out of the carriage, walking into the next room along, with the other escorts, stopping for a second when somebody whispered "bullshit" from behind him.

"Do you think he will say something to them?" Fran asked, glancing at the doorway the escorts had gone through.

"Yeah. But what can they do?"

"Pout at us until we go blind from bright coloured lips." Lev chimed in, with a smile.

The older tributes were too busy talking to notice Samyal walk towards the bag, and reach inside, and pull out a small teddy bear. Samyal's eyes widened, he remembered this bear. A Bear that had accompanied him on many adventures when he was a child, a bear that his Father had sold when Samyal had reached ten, being 'too babyish' for his son. Around the neck of the bear was a small golden ribbon, on it, was written, 'My golden child' in black ink, in his Mother's handwriting. Samyal smiled warmly, and cuddled the bear to his chest, beaming from ear to ear.


	10. Capitol Punishment

Chapter 9. Capitol Punishment

Garnett allowed himself a quick smile as he looked down at himself. As much as he wanted to hate the stylist who had dressed him, he couldn't. The outfit he was currently wearing was pure genius. He was wearing a silver suit, which was glistening from the thousands of small gemstones that were embedded in it. He then had a rather extravagant silver crown, that was also, covered in gemstones. To top it all off, he had a long cape draped from his shoulders, made out of many layers of silk. When he rode out in front of the capitol on his chariot, it would fly behind him and look brilliant. He smiled again when he realised how many sponsors he would get from this, before a familiar cheeky voice drawled.

"Garnett…"

"Topaz? What do you want?" He asked, quickly removing the smile from his face.

"I have good news… And even better news…" She returned with a smirk.

"What is the good news?" He asked, trying not to sound interested.

"The other outfits I have seen don't even come close to ours!" She replied, giving the older boy an affectionate pat on the shoulder.

"And the other news?" He asked, desperately trying to control the excitement he felt inside, it was a good start to the games.

"You know the girl who killed your precious Marvel?" She began, teasingly, before Garnett's anger filled eyes settled on her. She decided it would be better to not let him say anything, and continued quickly. "Her sister is the district twelve tribute."

His eyes turned from rage to delight swiftly as he glanced over at the other tributes dotted around the room. "How do you know?"

"I was asking the other careers what they knew about the tributes, and one of the boy's said he would tell me all about the people on his train carriage if I flashed him." Topaz returned swiftly, happy that she had impressed the boy.

The comment that was coming from his lips next was interrupted by a new voice, sounding over the room via a speaker system. "Please in positions. The parade starts in thirty seconds."

The tributes all quickly hurried to their appropriate chariots and climbed up onto them, some of them struggling too in the particular outfit they were wearing. Soon enough, the doors swung open and the district one carriage rode out into the path they were to ride down, and never before had anyone seen so many people in the same place.

* * *

The first chariot surged out of the doorway, with the district one tributes on it, silver, sequin studded suits reflecting the coloured lights of the arena everywhere. The boy had a magnificently long cape that was surging behind him in the wind, and the girl had something of the same purpose, but it was a skirt. The two long gashes of fabric caught the wind behind the carriage excellently, and the glimmering sheets of silky fabric flew through the air perfectly. It perfectly summarised luxury.

The second chariot then rode into sight, and was very different from the usual look that district two had. The girl was wearing a grey and white, textured, backless dress, with white heels. The boy of the district had an odd shaped, grey spike, laying horizontally across his head, and wore a brown and grey suit. At first the onlookers viewed it completely irrelevant to the district, until they really focussed on it, which is when it began to make sense. The girl's textured dress was symbolising stone, and the boy was symbolising a pickaxe. The onlookers realised it, and then thought highly of the stylist for being so crafty as to sum up masonry in such an obscure way.

The third chariot drew out next, and the onlookers were surprised about what they saw. The tributes did not appear to be wearing any clothing, they were however wearing full body unitards, covered in light bulbs that shone brightly, showing off electricity. It did some up the district, but there was not much to look at other than the light that would hurt the eyes of any onlooker who stared too long. It was certainly a risky way to sum up electricity.

The next chariot held a blue wonder. The female tribute had a blue sarong, with a dark blue wrap around her torso, with a large golden crown of her head. Her hair was also in a perfect French plait, what a French was a question to be asked another time, the onlookers had to get in the light of their tributes. The boy had a deep blue sarong on, with a golden crown upon his head. The onlookers did not miss the wandering hand that slid to the girls behind, and from the look of rage on her face, she didn't miss it either. Between them the ocean was summed up nicely, the stylists had done well.

The fifth chariot was also lit up, but this one was much more tastefully handled. The male tribute had a simple suit on, whist the girl had a rather elegant cocktail dress, with a twist. The two costumes drifted from a green hue, to a purple hue, seamlessly changing colours rather mystically. It did seem to give out an impression of power, the colour changing costumes acting similar to the looks the power stations of their district must have. Not that the capitol onlookers had any idea what district five was actually like.

The next chariot drew out of the hall, the two riders both looking rather sullen. The onlookers liked the thought that had been put behind these costumes. The two tributes were wearing black, leather suits, that were almost identical in looks to the silver spandex motorcycle clothing that the people of the capitol used. This didn't really sum up the district as much as it did the capitol, but the onlookers were so excited to see a tribute dressed up in actual capitol attire. The onlookers thought a considerable amount for this stylist, someone clearly thinking forward about the capitol.

District seven was looking rather good. The two tributes from the lumber district were dressed accordingly, well accordingly to how the capitol liked to see it's district seven tributes. Green. The usual tradition of dressing the tributes as trees had been stopped, and the two tributes this year, the tall, olive skinned girl, and the short, ivory skinned boy, were both wrapped in thick green vines, covering their genitals just to ensure that no capitol-to-district lust would occur. They had received more than enough of that with Finnick. The vines that encased the tributes summarised the capitol's view of district seven.

The district eight tribute carriage rolled out next, revealing the textiles district tributes. It was as suspected, the two fairly tall tributes had been draped in many layers of fabric that were all different colours and materials. The large, bear-like boy looked fairly comical in his colourful fabric dress, but he still looked good, considering he was meant to be summarising his district. Indeed he was doing so, rather well.

The next carriage rolled out, which many of the onlookers were looking forward to, the grain district was a place that had not shone in the past. Maybe this year would be different. It was. Both tributes wore Identical, gold fishnet vests, with nothing underneath for either of them, the stylist clearly did not have the same concern as the one from district seven. On the bottom half, the two of them wore netted shorts, revealing everything other than the genitals of the tributes, again gold. Some of the onlookers were baffled by the costume, others sussed it out. The gold netting was symbolising the grain on the fields of the district, the tanned skin of both tributes symbolizing the earth. This was the best costume district nine had had in a long time.

The tenth chariot rode out next, its riders strewn in feathers. They were wearing suits completely made from feathers, likely resembling poultry. The two of them were donned in snow white feathers and brown feathers. On closer inspection of the costumes the feathers were laid out in a cow like pattern, which truly summed up district ten. Many of the onlookers were pleasantly surprised by the combination of two key factors of meat that fed the capitol. It was a clever method of summing up ten.

The eleventh chariot followed closely behind, slightly slower than the others on account of a damaged wheel. The two riders were both dressed in pale, long length gowns, adorned with sequins and swirls of colour. On their head they wore odd, triangular shaped hats, which seemed to be made out of woven fibres. It was definitely a new direction to the overalls usually worn by the tributes from this district, and the onlookers really had to decide whether they liked the new touch, or not.

Finally the last carriage drew out, with its two riders totally black. They were covered in coal fragments. The onlookers were pleased that the outfit was so bad; they had been given instructions not to sponsor them anyway. But then it changed. The coal fragments burst into vivid crimson flames that sored off behind them, marking the air with streaks of fire. The onlookers glanced around at the others in the stand with them, all thinking the same thing. That stylist would be dead by morning.

* * *

The deafening cheers of the crowd were silenced by the slam of the door, the final chariot belonging to District Twelve rode into the grand entranceway. Prim and Nathan both sent a look around the room, looking at the other tributes who were stood there. Some of them had removed the costumes that they were in, most notably the district eight boy, who was now simply wearing some tight boxer briefs that did nothing to hide what was underneath. Prim blushed slightly, and looked away, not too sure whether she was old enough to be looking at something like that. Turning away, her eyes met with the boy from district one, who was giving her a very cold stare. Prim remember what her older sister had said to her about these events once when she told her about the games.

_It is simple once you know what you are doing, you just need try and make some friends; being alone in the arena is the worst thing you can do._

Prim followed Katniss' old advice and smiled at the boy, who immediately began walking towards her, each step echoing inside the huge hall at the base of the tribute tower. Prim shot a worried glance towards Nathan, but he had left the chariot, and was talking to the boy from district seven that he had been speaking with on the train. Prim then glanced at Effie, who was busy using the reflective surface of the silver horse stirrups to tend to her make-up. She moved around again, and saw the tribute, close, close enough for Prim to see the few faint features on his face that reminded him of someone, though she couldn't place who. Prim screamed suddenly as the boy brought his fist into the wooden side of the chariot, cracking and splintering the wood.

"That is mahogany!" Effie spat, outraged by the tribute's lack of regard for the expensive wood.

He paid her no head and took a step towards Prim, who was cowering on the floor, looking at the older boy with fear filled eyes. The platinum haired male looked down on the blonde girl with rage filled eyes, when someone ran into him from the side, and sent them both sprawling to the floor. The boy from district eight. The two huge boys clambered to their feet and assumed battle stances, as a rather muscular girl stood next to the topless boy, also in battle stance. The three tributes stood, looking at each other, and then the peacekeepers stationed in the room. It was a miracle that they hadn't been spotted yet, but that would likely change if they started a full fight. Suddenly the slender, golden netting draped blonde boy walked between the two teams, and pattered up to the platinum haired boy, saying something to him that was inaudible to everyone else. The boy lowered his fists apprehensively, and made to walk away, before a white arm grasped his shoulder and spun him around to face a camera. The two boys became unwilling pieces of bread in a candyfloss sandwich as Effie stood between them, pulling a ridiculously fake smile and putting her thumbs up for a nearby camera.

"Come come my dears. It is so nice to know that you are already getting along so well." She said softly, before the career boy pushed her away and stormed off back to the other career tributes.

"How rude."


	11. Intimidation Attempt

Chapter 10. Intimidation Attempt.

The whole reality of the situation truly sunk in when Alisha and Ray walked into the training gym. Racks of spears, swords and heavy weights flooded the floor, whilst others lined the walls, full of different types of gruesome looking weapons. Ray couldn't help but watch as the male tributes from districts one and two, both made a beeline to a particularly terrible looking set of weapons. The district one boy picked up a long metal mace with sharp, hooked blades at its tip, and the boy from two grabbed a double-edged sword, thin and sharp as a razor. Without a second thought, the platinum haired boy swung the mace at a rubber human-shaped dummy, crushing the head of the mannequin, sending fragments of rubber everywhere, along with the rest of the mannequin, which found itself impaled on a set of spears nearby. The scarred boy was at a second dummy, one second with the sword was in his hand and the next with the blade completely submerged inside the mannequin's stomach. He only smirked, proud of his work, then moved on to test another weapon. Ray gulped, glancing over at Alisha who had also gone pale, never having wielded a weapon against a human before. Seeing the two Careers destroy the mannequins without a second thought had sent twisting knots in their stomachs, their hearts sunk in their chests as they realized how truly unprepared they were for the fight in the arena.

"What you looking at, Seven?" The scarred boy's voice suddenly sounded from over at the mannequins, a jagged-edged sword is in his hand, and the smirk still plastered over his face. "You watching to see what I plan to do to you in the arena?" He spat, the jagged sword making contact with a mannequin's head, slicing it in two.

* * *

Prim winced slightly at the pain the ropes were causing her, but still hoisted herself up. She was scared, not from the pain of falling, but from the humiliation of it. Katniss had told her about the career tributes, which were from district one, two and four, and they were currently watching her. They had already proved how strong they were, by destroying the mannequins, and now they were observing the possible threats the arena could offer. She looked down at the floor of the room, which was padded, so falling wouldn't hurt too much, but it was still quite far. Prim looked back up to the next handhold and reached for it. When her burnt fingers clasped around the rope, she winced again, this time the pain was too much, as she lost the strength to hold herself up. She fell down to the floor, landing on the soft mat with a grunt, which was then drowned out by the laughter of the career tributes.

"Are you alright?"

Prim looked up at who had asked this question, not recognising the voice. It was the boy from nine. He had a soft, delicate voice, putting proper emphasis on each of the words he said. Prim immediately felt comfort in the boy's voice.

"Prim?" He asked softly, his sapphire eyes glistening in the light of the room.

"I-I'm okay…" She said faintly in response.

"Then let's get you back on your feet."

She gently stood up with the help of the boy, whose soft hands felt very smooth against her own. Prim couldn't help glancing towards the career tributes, who were still laughing at her.

"H-how do you know my name?" Prim asked, eyeing the boy with slight fear.

"Everyone does. You're Ka… _Her_ sister."

Prim blushed and glanced back towards the tributes, the biggest one of them all, with the platinum hair and rippling muscles that his shirt emphasised greatly, the one who had attacked her the night before, walked over, smirking like he was the most important person in the room.

"Did the little baby girl hurt herself?" He mocked, causing the careers to laugh even more. "You think that is pain wait until…" He started to continue, before Prim felt herself get dragged away towards the station that held the archery equipment.

"I'm not done with you twelve!" The blonde shouted angrily, walking after the two tributes, eager not to have his power questioned. Prim gently felt the boy let go of her hand and walk back towards the older boy.

"Get out of my way." The career said roughly, in attempt to intimidate him.

"Levyir. You can call me Lev. District nine." Lev said gently, undeterred by the boy's intimidation attempt, offering a hand to him.

"I told you to get out of my way."  
"Why don't you just calm down a little and see that I'm trying to be friendly here?"

"And what makes you think you're worth my time?"

"Watch." Lev replied quickly, walking towards the archery station, looking at the collection of objects there.

His sapphire eyes scanned the collection of arrow's there until he saw what he was looking for, the objects that had caught his eyes earlier. Five silver crossbow bolts. That meant there was also a crossbow. Lev looked down the stand, not seeing one, until it caught his eye. It was on a wall rack, tributes didn't often use a crossbow, being a hard weapon to master. Lev walked over to it and pulled it off of the rack, smiling. He pulled the trigger to test the strength of the weapon. He was satisfied. He swung it to the floor and placed his foot in the cocking stirrup of the weapon, and flexing his fingers around the string, which he pulled it back up until the click signalled it was ready to use. Lev reached over and gripped one of the bolts from the rack, checking its weight quickly, before he loaded it into the weapon. He glanced over at the career, who was still watching him with his steely eyes, now accompanied by a girl from district one, who was stroking his arm softly. Lev pressed the scope to his eye and fired. The bolt cut through the air and landed in a mannequin, directly where the eye would have been, the impact of the bolt ripping the head off of the dummy, causing it to clatter against the floor. Lev smiled glanced around, noting that he had a few onlookers, before he grinned and took a bow, proud that he had hit so accurate. His training sessions with his grandmother were beginning to look like they were going to pay off.

* * *

Alisha glanced around for something to do. She wanted to go and practice with axes, but after the display of the district nine boy, she was going to look a little weak. Alisha walked over to the ropes station, not really sure on why, but she did. She took a length of rope from the pile and began tying it in a series of complex knots. She looked down at them, and emotion threatened the corners of her eyes. The knots were the same as ones she had seen before a multitude of times. When Sunny had raped her. Alisha's face hardened as her thoughts returned to that peacekeeper, and she scowled deeply, remembering all of the things he had done to her. Sunny had raped her when she was twelve years old. She remembered preying at the reapings that her name would be called, and on her sixteenth failure of being reaped, and after Sunny had arranged for her father's death, she took it into her own hands, and trained. She let a sadistic smile bless her features as she remembered the expression on Sunny's face when she had volunteered for the game. Pure horror. Although now there was his threat to every other girl in the district, but of course, that is why she needed to win. To stop him. Alisha then stood up, and wandered away from the ropes, going to sit at the fire station with her district partner Ray. Alisha's eyes suddenly snapped over to her left where two of the female tributes, the girls from three and six, happened to be standing. Alisha didn't know their names, but she did know they were not part of the Career group. Instead, they seemed caught up in the watching someone, forgetting why they were there and what they were training for. Their eyes were solely focused on the district one boy as they giggled once again, as the slightly taller, curly brown haired girl whispered to her friend.

"He's hot, isn't he?"

The other girl nodded, oblivious to the fact that he would have rather them been dead than alive, "Yes, really hot."

They giggled again, stealing one final glance in the career's direction before they looked down at the snare they were supposed to be building. Then, Alisha noticed the district four female tribute making her way over to him. The girl clearly didn't share the two giggling girls' feelings, but was acting as though she did. She walked over and begun trailing her fingers lightly up his arm.

"Hey, Garnett." She started, in a rather seductive tone, her fingers were still wandering against his skin as she spoke, letting them trace the defined muscles of his arm. "You look so handsome when you get aggressive." She said, leaning forward as if she was about to whisper something into his ear, when to Alisha's surprise, he rolled his eyes.

"I'm not interested in you." He said roughly, brushing her hand away, as he turned, moving in the direction of a rack of mace's.

"_What_?" She hissed, smirking for a second before walking after him with a fake, aggressive strut.

Cato rolled his eyes for a second time, his fingers reaching out and running along the length of a large, brutal mace. "It's simple. I'm not interested in you _or_ any of the other girls here."

The girl looked at him with confusion, when her eyes suddenly widened in enlightenment. "You're gay!" She half screamed, before she sent a glance around checking to see if anyone had heard it, which they hadn't, or so it seemed, but Alisha had, and was shocked. Suddenly a cruel sneer rippled over her face as she looked at the older boy. "Marvel was _more _than your brother wasn't he?"

Alisha's mouth dropped even more, as the boy looked down on her, his expression clear that she had guessed correctly. She then looked at the girl, she had planned this all, and now Garnett was totally at her mercy.

"You better do what I tell you too or I might accidently tell the other tributes all of this…" She began, before she was abruptly interrupted.

"Hey! You two! We're having a little thing for the older tributes tonight. Get to know each other a little bit! You need to come! Okay? Its Lev's idea. Nine o-clock on floor nine. Okay?" The district eight boy shouted at the two careers, from the other side of the hall.

"Yeah we'll come." The district four girl shouted, sending an icy glance at the boy, before walking off, a proud smirk plastering her features as Alisha watched the boy turn, seeing the utterly sad look on his face. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost. She then watched as he glanced over at someone else, who was behind a weapon rack from Alisha's vision, but he definitely found comfort in this person, and his face lightened slightly, before he returned to his mace, smashing a mannequin's head, clearly wishing it was the district four girl.


	12. Truth or Dare

Chapter 11. Truth or Dare?

Topaz and Garnett were both apprehensive about the evening, for different reasons. Topaz just wasn't sure if the tributes usually did things like this, or didn't. The idea about it confused her, and she didn't like to be confused. Garnett was worried because he didn't know what Rhine was going to make him do, and if she did choose to tell the other tributes, he couldn't lie his way out of it. He couldn't lie to save his life. The two of them hadn't really spoken all evening, Topaz was constantly making attempts at conversation, but Garnett was really not interested in talking at that moment, that and the fact the day before Topaz had mocked his brother. Neither were sure what to expect from the evening, and both arrived five minutes early, it was important to be prompt in district one. They were not the first to arrive, the two from district eight were also in the room, along with the girl from ten. The door was left open for the two of them, and when they walked in, the saw the five tributes already there, the district nine girl laughing her head off, though clearly not happy with herself for it, and the district ten girl holding some form of board. Looking to the other side of the room, the careers saw why. The boy and girl from eight, along with the boy from nine were standing on a white mat with a collection of coloured spots on it; they looked as if they were tangled up. The boy from nine, Levyir as he had introduced himself, was bent at a near impossible angle, and his back was flexed, almost like a bridge, over the district eight boy, who had one foot on the same row of circles as his hands were, the other leg outstretched behind him. The girl looked as though she had it easy, her feet were side by side, and her two hands were on the floor just in front of her.

"Lev. Right leg green." The girl from ten said, watching as the boy scowled, and slowly and gracefully lifted his leg so it was perpendicular to the floor, when he started to move it down, Topaz felt it necessary to make their presence known.

"Hello?" She shouted, loud enough to make Garnett jump, and it was loud enough to turn the seemingly innocent game into pure carnage. The girl fell forwards onto the boy from her district, knocking him down so he fell into the perfect splits, and his yowl of pain revealed that they were anything but perfect. Lev stumbled for a second, before he moved into a neat backwards roll, and he looked around to face the newcomers.

"Hey." He said kindly, becoming them in with his hand. "We were just playing a game that we found in the cupboard."

"You chose to play that?" Topaz asked, shocked that that was something they had wanted to do.

"Well it was either that or a game called _boggle_ and quite frankly, that word scares me."

Topaz let out a snort of laughter, and Garnett felt a smile creep over his features, before he remembered why he was actually here.

"So what are we doing?"

"Getting to know each other. I mean, if we need to kill each other eventually, why not know who we are first?"

"And how are we going to do that? Sit in a circle and tell secrets?" Topaz said sarcastically.

"Kind of. Have you ever played truth or dare?"

* * *

Soon enough half of the tributes for the games were sitting on the comfy sofas of the district nine lounge. The tributes who were gathered were all over sixteen years of age, and Fran and Erika were both in the floor below, doing who knows what. The boy's from eleven and twelve hadn't shown up, despite being old enough, and the boy from two was also not attending, but they were no great losses, there were still twelve interesting people.

"So does everyone know how to play? People have played it before?" Peterson asked, glancing at the other tributes.

"Sure… You just like… Choose someone to ask when it is your go… And you say truth or dare, and they have to tell you a truth of what you ask… Or like do what you tell them to…" The fragile girl from district six said softly.

"Yeah. Now rules for the dares. Nothing that openly affects the arena. Juvenile things like stripping down to your underwear or kissing someone."  
"I've never kissed anyone before!" Enna said, her fragile body contracting at the embarrassment.

"You know…" Peterson began.

"NOBODY! EVER!" Ceres shouted, almost as if it offended him, it probably did.

"…You don't need…"

"Wow. You should have seen district nine. Everybody was kissing everybody. Well… The pretty ones were."

"…We haven't started playing yet!" Peterson finished, loudly, enough for people to hear and glance over. "Who is going first?"

"ME!" Liana screamed, louder than everybody else. "Right. I think the host of tonight should be revealing stuff. Truth or Dare?"  
Levyir smiled, and his eyes narrowed. "Dare."

Liana sat back for a second, before she started to giggle, she then lent forward and said, very coldly. "I dare you to kiss Peterson."

The two boy's, who were sat together, turned to face each other. To everyone's surprise, no protest came from either boy, they simply moved a little closer together so their chests were touching.

The only comment made was from Levyir, who said, cheekily. "You better not be a sissy about this."

And then they kissed. The rough lips of Peterson met the pressure of the delicate, silky lips of Levyir, who gently wrapped his arms around the neck of the older boy, pulling him in closer. Then they changed. Peterson almost wrestled Lev down onto his back as his tongue struck the chasm of the younger boy's mouth, his silver tongue striking back with precision, hitting a spot that made the older boy moan. The struggle for dominance then began, Peterson having the edge with power, but Lev only needed a single well placed strike to make the older boy squirm. He stuck. Levyir's tongue struck quickly, unleashing a flurry of blows to a sensitive area of Peterson's mouth, making him moan heavily. Lev won. He pulled away and returned back to the circle, all of whom were looking at him with the same

oh-my-god stare.

"My go." Levyir said casually, his eyes scanning the circle of tributes around him, stopping briefly on each tribute. He finally settled on Garnett, something peaking Lev's interest about the other boy. "Garnett. Truth or Dare."

"Dare." The boy returned, not even thinking.

"I dare you to stand up."

Garnett looked at the tanned boy, utterly baffled by the dare he had been given. He shrugged and stood up straight, when he realised the purpose of the dare. Garnett threw himself back into the seat at once, but it was too late now. Everybody saw. Everybody knew. The big scary career tribute had just got aroused over two guy's kissing. And had a raging erection.

"GAY!" Rhine yelled, smirking at the platinum haired boy, who was debating a course of action.

"Rhine truth or dare!" He shouted at the girl, who grinned.

"Dare." She replied, standing up and sliding her hand into her trousers, producing a large bulge with her fingers, bringing laughter fourth from the group.

"Lick Ceres' chest. Navel to neck." Garnett returned, watching in delight as the girl's eyes widened in shock and horror, bringing even greater laughs from the circle of tributes.

"NO!" She screamed in reply, as Ceres instantly took his shirt off, revealing a toned chest, with a light dusting of hair.

"You have to. They are the rules."

Rhine glanced around to the other tributes, as if one would help her, but she knew she had to do this. She grudgingly walked to the place in front of Ceres, and fell down to her knees, looking at the boy in spite, before she quickly drew her tongue up his body, pulling away the second she could.

"Gross."

* * *

The tributes had all endured their fair share of dares. Topaz had licked one of Ceres' feet. Garnett had been forced to endure Levyir sitting in his lap for a turn. Liana had ended up kissing Jodi, then kissing Rhine, the latter of the two dares coming from Ceres. Rhine had ended up sitting in her bra and panties, and also kissing Ceres on the lips. Ceres had had to deal with kissing Vayne, who in turn had been forced to reveal he was a prostitute. Enna had ended the night wearing clothes that the group had taken out of the district nine escort's wardrobe, and had even had the make-up plastered over her face. Alisha was only in underwear and had been given the dare of wearing Levyir's boots, to which the boy had been upmost against. Alisha had given a rather well timed dare to Peterson for him to flash the peacekeeper stationed outside the door. Levyir had been dared to give Garnett a hickey. But the worst dare of the evening had to be Jodi being asked to take her top and bra off, and press herself up against the window, where she would undoubtedly be seen by someone. As the night was drawing to a close, Rhine still wanted to get Garnett back, and suddenly had the perfect idea to ruin him, and being the last dare of the night, he could not get her back.

"Peterson. Truth or Dare?"  
"Dare."  
"I dare you to spend the night with Levyir. Naked."

Some gasps echoed around the circle as the boy actually agreed to this. He agreed to take all of his clothes off and give them to Rhine to prove he was naked, as nothing of Lev's would have fitted the bigger boy.

Rhine was the last tribute to leave, and had made very sure that she was in possession of all of Peterson's clothing before she left the floor. She was almost certain the two boys would have sex, Garnett would be devastated, and he would become her little pawn. The only thing she didn't know, was whether Garnett had a crush on Peterson, or Levyir.


	13. Repercussions

**I'm sorry that this chapter is a little bad.**

**It is one of those in-between chapters i don't like writing...**

**Reviewsss**

* * *

Chapter 12. Repercussions

Erika poured herself a glass of think, green, liquid as she settled down at the breakfast table opposite her escort. She couldn't quite understand the choice of orange hair and a blue dress, but she was prepared to go with it. Though she didn't want to admit it, Erika was almost enjoying her life in the capitol, it was fun, for now. The night before, Fran and herself had stayed up fairly late watching some of the capitol television, laughing at some of the clothing they were wearing, and now, the dark haired youth was regretting it. She didn't want to start making friends, it would simply cloud her purpose for the games. She would feel all of the empathy shit she had neglected for so long if she started caring again.

"Where is Levyir?" Melphine suddenly exclaimed. "Still asleep? I shall go and wake him."

"Okay." Erika huffed in response, not really caring on the actions of the overly caring escort, simply getting back to the porridge that she was eating.

She almost screamed when she heard her orange haired escort wail with such pitch the windows ought to have smashed, and snapping her neck round, she listened to the outraged rant coming from the woman.

"WHAT IN PANEM DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING!" The distressed woman exclaimed, clearly greatly troubled by whatever sight lay on the other side of the door. "IF YOU ARE…" There was a slight pause for a moment before Erika heard the rather distinct noise of a duvet being pulled away. "NAKED! IN THE NAME OF PRESIDENT SNOW I DEMAND YOU TELL ME WHY YOU ARE TRYING TO SHAG MY TRIBUTE!"

Erika coughed and immediately ran to the door of her district male's room, then her jaw fell open. Sure enough, Levyir was lying in bed with Peterson, the latter of which was stark naked and, to be quite honest, hung like a horse.

"I-I… I." was all the naked boy could say, before a pillow was placed over his genitalia and Lev's silky voice got to work on ironing the creases of the situation out.

"Firstly. Calm down. Secondly. Peterson was not trying to shag me, it was a dare from another tribute that he spend the night in my bed naked. Thirdly. Why wouldn't he want to shag me, I'm practically a sex god. Fourthly. I am past the age of consent so I do have every right to let him shag me if I chose to do so."

Melphine looked as if she was going to pass out as Levyir sat up on the bed, he was wearing a pair of tight boxers, but not really anything substantial. Erika tried not to giggle, but she couldn't help it, she did enjoy getting others in trouble, and this was such an opportunity.

"Looks like you've been spooning away all…"

"SPOONING!"

Levyir got up from the bed at Melphine's final exclamation and grabbed Peterson's hand, half dragging him to the en-suite bathroom, locking the door firmly behind him.

"When I signed up to be a mentor I did not agree to have to cope with hormonal youths." Melphine muttered, skulking out of the room back towards the dining table, yelling something at one of the avox that were lurking there. Erika smiled, sadistically. Melphine would probably stop fetching sponsors for him now, and solely focus on her.

* * *

Garnett rolled over in his bed, the silky duvet ensnaring his waist. He didn't even want to leave the bed. Not only had everybody found out that the biggest career in the games was a gay, but he also knew that the guy he fancied was in bed with someone else. Garnett scowled and pressed his face hard into his pillow. He wouldn't cry, but he wouldn't get up. He didn't like facing a day that was not important to him. He felt as if he were in limbo, just waiting for the games to come, where he could finally get some blood. His thoughts were interrupted when the door slid open, and the sound of pattering feet drew across the floor of the bedroom. Garnett immediately he assumed it was his escort again, pestering him to get up, or maybe an avox this time.

"Fuck off." The blonde said, menacingly, but quietly, making him seem that little more threatening.

"Listen blondie." Topaz spat in return, not too happy about being talked to like that. "If you keep this up you won't have an alliance to fall back on."

"Sorry." He murmured in response. "I thought you were Jared."

"Whatever, that isn't the point. The point is that you need to stop being such a shit about this and actually do something about it." She said firmly, taking a seat on the bottom of his bed.

"Wha…"

"Right. Nobody cares that you are gay. But you clearly want someone. Who is it?"  
"I don't…"  
"Bullshit. Tell me right now or I swear I will drag eight and nine here and then see which one your cock points too!"

Garnett chuckled. "Y'know that isn't actually how it…"  
"GARNETT!"

"Nine." He sighed, fingering the duvet a little. "The cute blonde one."

"Ah yeah. The one with the really pretty eyes."

Garnett just grunted in response, looking down at the white silk of the sheets. He secretly wished that Topaz was not there, but Levyir was instead, Garnett wanted that boy so much. An awkward silence overcame the pair and they sat uncomfortably, Garnett still lying in bed.

"I've always wanted a gay best friend!" Topaz exclaimed suddenly tugging on the older boy's arm. "We can go shopping together and I can do your hair for you!"

"What?" Garnett growled, throwing the duvet off of him and flying to his feet, his eyes fuming at the knowledge of being associated with anything feminine.

"I knew that would get you up." Topaz grinned, turning to leave the room. "I'll talk to Liana about your problem. She'll know what to do."

* * *

Topaz slipped into the avox stairwell of the complex, and climbed the stairs quickly. She was actually really excited about setting someone up; she hadn't done it in so long. Of course, it was not something she could have done by herself; she needed a friend to do it. She needed someone to say 'way to go my sister' to after the two boys shared their first heated kiss, in the rain, both wearing white shirts. Of course that would never happen, but it was something she wanted to do with some help. The second floor was almost the same as the first, but it had different wallpaper. Topaz peered in the room and noticed the two tributes immediately both talking merrily, an emotion that nobody had actually seen on them before.

"… And then I threw a fruit bowl at her and told her to apologise to the ducks and…" Her mad story stopped as she noticed that Topaz had entered the room. "Hey Topaz. I was just telling Lucien about the time my best friend got her first period."

"A little concerned that the story contains ducks but I'll pass it. I need your help with a girly issue."  
"Periods?"

"NO!" Topaz screamed, looking at Lucien with horror. "A date thing."  
"Listen you are really not my type…"  
"NOT WITH YOU!" She squealed again, utterly shocked by how different this girl had seemed when they had spoken before, clearly last night's fun had rubbed off on her. "I'm setting someone up."

"O-M-G! Is it the two… Y'know…" She glanced at Lucien. "Kissers from last night?"

"No it is one of the kissers. And the one who stood up."

Liana looked gobsmacked. "Did he ask you?"

"No but I know he wants it!"

The two girls then went off in a fit of hysterics, giggling about the two males in question, which Lucien didn't even have a hint of understanding about. He soon got the feeling he wasn't wanted in this juvenile little game, and left to go down to the training room, leaving the two teens to discuss the master plan that they were making.

"I think it is so cute that Garnett is gay! I mean, it is so boring when all of the tributes are straight."

"I know what you mean, now, the plan."

"Right! I'll approach Lev, and tell him."

"What? How is that going to do anything other than make it worse?"

"Because Lev seems like a sweet guy. I watched his reaping. I bet if we tell him we'll see results."

"But he just spent a naked night with the guy from eight!"

"Yeah but he might not have done anything."

"The only reason he did anything in the first place is because you dared him too!"

"Well I can fix it!"

The two girls shared a scowl, before the mutual agreement of Liana's plan. Neither girl had yet taken into account of how their manipulations would affect Levyir. And what his feelings for Peterson were, and how far they went.


	14. Plotting

**First note- I changed the chapter 'Intimidation attempt' so now Levyir uses a crossbow.**

**If you wish to read the new scene where Levyir shows of his skills it is in that chapter. **

**Please rate and review.**

**Don't worry. **

**It is Hunger games.**

**There is just a little romance behind the scenes. **

**XD**

**Enjoy...**

**xxx**

* * *

Chapter 13. Plotting

Liana watched with eagle eyes as Garnett grudgingly trudged into the training room. A smile pressed at her features when she saw him scan the room, then frown in disappointment, before he discovered a rather brutal looking mace, and moved to wield it against some mannequins. Liana kept her eyes plastered on the door, she was hardly subtle about it, being at the camouflage station seemed to be enough cover for her, regardless of the size of the trunks she was attempting to hide behind. She spotted her target. The duo from district nine walked in with the duo from district eight, with the girl from ten close at their heels. Liana cursed. She couldn't approach the kid if he had his friends with him. Liana scowled. She kept looking at the group, who stopped to talk for a moment; the girl from nine was quickly isolated from the conversation, and stomped off angrily making a beeline for the archery station. The remaining four all stood and continued the conversation for a few moments before they smiled and parted ways, the two from eight heading towards the trap making station, talking about the events of the previous night. The boy from nine and girl from ten then moved towards the archery station, but changed their minds and moved to the fire building station. Liana smirked, but she still needed to district the other girl. She looked over to the girl, watching her run her hand through her short, dark brown hair, so it stuck up. Liana smiled even wider as a plan formed in her head, clambering up to her feet, dusting off the moss and dirt that stuck to the front of her training clothes, a white jumpsuit with a large two on the back in black writing. She walked over to Topaz, who was talking to Garnett, who was in turn, blocking her from Ceres.

"Topaz? Can I have a word?" Liana said, pattering up to her friend.

"Can you just…" Topaz began in return, before she caught the look in the eyes of the brunette. "Yeah okay. I'll be back in one second."

The two girls then walked across the room to a secluded place behind a weapon rack, where Topaz's irritated expression summed up what she was feeling.

"You are supposed to be helping me set up Garnett! Not setting me up with you!"

"I'm not! I need your help with something."

Topaz sighed. "What?"

"Can you distract the girl from ten whilst I talk to Lev?"

Topaz glanced around the side of the weapon stand, looking at the girl.

"What exactly do you need me to do?"

"Just distract her. Y'know, do some flirting?"

"WHAT!" Topaz screamed, unaware of her own volume.

"Look at her, she is obviously a lesbo. Just do some flirting, distract her."

Topaz frowned and looked at the girl, with a rather uncomfortable look on her face.

"Fine." She breathed, looking at Liana. "Boy does Garnett owe me."

* * *

Jodi giggled at Levyir's failed attempts to light a fire, watching him curse when he burnt himself on the sparks he created from rubbing splints together.

"You are hopeless kid. You know that right?"

Levyir smiled sweetly, and put on an innocent tone. "I haven't lit a fire like this in my life… I usually use matches, and oil. Not stones and wood."

Jodi's eyes widened in disbelief. "You have _never _lit a fire like this before?"

"No… I mean… I had all of the essentials that my Gran brought from her house in victors village."

"What? Your Gran?"

"She was a victor of one of the games. The seventeenth I think. It was a long time ago."

"I'm sorry…" Jodi muttered, hugging the boy gently. "I wouldn't have brought it up if I had known."

"Known what?" The blonde returned, puzzled.

"That she is dead."

"She isn't dead? She may be seventy eight this year but she is still a feisty old crow. She was the first tribute who ever used a crossbow, and the last to use it properly. Well, not anymore."

"I thought all of the previous victors died?"

"Not my Gran. She had nothing to do with the rebellion. She said that the games made her strong, which made her better. Personally I don't agree with either view. I mean, the games are bad because I might die. But I also get to meet loads of new people and have some fun. See the rest of Panem. Eat brilliant meals…"

"Have your death publicly aired across all Panem."

Levyir giggled, adjusting his fringe. "What can I say? I'm an optimist."

The two of them then wandered off towards the rope station, where there was an awfully large amount of rope discarded on the floor.

"Ropes. Kinky." Levyir said, grinning.

"You going to be doing that with Peter?"

"No. I mean, he is nice and everything, but he is the most irritating person in the world. Last night he was all like…" Levyir adjusted to his 'Peterson accent', which was a rather rich, southern drawl. "Y'know sweetheart, I know you have been practically begging me to get in your bed, and I know you are totally jealous of my dick…"

"How is it?"

"He's hung like a horse but that's not the point. He is so bad at being sweet or remotely romantic… Most of the time he makes me want to shoot him in the face. And no that is _not_ a euphemism."

Jodi giggled for a second before she squealed in frustration, utterly exasperated by the ropes she was trying to tie.

"This is shit! What the heck are the chances I'm going to find some rope in the arena? And if I do, what will I use it for? Tie a noose in a tree and hope that someone runs into it and accidently hangs themselves!" She ranted, before taking a deep breath. "Right. Breathe. Count to ten."

"Excuse me?" A third voice sounded from next to them, spinning them both around to face it.

"Hey." Levyir sang, smiling happily at the girl. "Topaz right? Come to lick someone else's feet?" He added cheekily, with a giggle.

"NO!" Topaz snapped angrily, before she composed herself. "No… I just came to speak to you." She finished, gesturing at Jodi, rather apprehensively, before she quietly muttered to herself. "Never lose focus."

* * *

Levyir smiled as he watched the two girls disappear behind a large weapon rack, before getting back to his knots. He barely had time to tie another knot before somebody else patted up to him, and started to speak, making him jump.

"Hey there Blondie." Liana said a little louder than necessary. "Can I ask you something."

"Hey. Liana isn't it? Yeah sure. Ask away." He replied rather cheerfully, considering he had just been scared out of his wits.

"Well you see. Garnett…"

"I'm sorry but I need to tell you something." Levyir interrupted, glancing over Liana's shoulder, before he switched to a whisper. "You are awfully pretty to be a career. And I'm not the only one who sees that. The other careers are looking at you like you are nothing more pretty little girl; I don't think that anyone is going to take you seriously. Well I do. I can tell that you know what you are doing. The others can's see it though You are a meal to them."

"I-I… Do you really think they see me like that?" She asked, in a weak tone of voice.

"Definitely. Topaz see's you as her bitch. Garnett hasn't really noticed you. Lucien thinks you are a weakling. Ceres wants to shag you like he does with everyone else. Then Rhine doesn't really seem connected with any of you."

"You're right… Here was me thinking they thought I was valuable, but really they see me as their bitch." She said softly, desperately holding back some tears.

"It's okay." Levyir said, softly hugging the girl.

Liana sniffed for a moment then regained her composure, swiftly changing the topic. "So how did you learn how to use a crossbow?"

"My grandmother taught me how."

"Wow. They don't even teach it in the training academy's in the career districts. They say it isn't useful in the games because it takes so long to reload and it is really heavy."

"It does take long to reload and it is quite heavy… But generally you don't need to reload or run with it. You hit someone with it. They are lucky if all they lose is a limb."

"Ouch…" Liana muttered shyly, almost nervous with the cheerful tone of the boy.

"So what did you come to tell me?"

"Oh. Just some juvenile shit." She spat angrily, glancing at the weapon rack that Topaz was behind. "Topaz wanted me to help her set you up with Garnett."

"Garnett? Why exactly?"

"Oh because he fancies you."

"What?" Levyir exclaimed, the redness of a blush spreading up his face.

"He… Oh… It's a mutual thing." She said cheekily, smiling.

"No I just thought that last night was just… That we were kissing… I wasn't just paranoid when I sat on his lap then…"  
Liana giggled, turning around to look at Garnett. "I guess you can't blame him. You are super cute."

"Thank you…" Lev replied sheepishly.

"It's your eyes, they are so pretty and blue."

"Thank you…"

"Do you want to spend a little alone time with the big muscled boy then?"

"Kinda…" He said again, his usual, cheeky confidence gone and replaced by nervousness.

"That is so cute!"

"I'll err… Be over at the… Err… Place over there…" He muttered, walking off into a dark corner of the room in an attempt to hide the blush from his face.

Liana smiled, then it turned to sadness when she remembered how all of the other careers actually felt about her. Maybe she didn't need the careers though? As long as she was with Levyir, and Levyir was with Garnett. She would be untouchable. And with that thought, she moved to tell the muscular boy the news he wasn't even expecting.


	15. Venom

**Sorry for the late update!**

**I haven't really had too much time, which also explains the pointlessness of this chapter.**

**I hope people enjoy it, but it is mainly a character building chapter.**

**Hope you enjoy. **

**xxx**

* * *

Chapter 14. Venom.

Mychal leant back against the weapon rack behind him and let out a loud, obnoxious sigh. His tendency to be obnoxious was starting to grate on everyone he had spoken to so far in the capitol. Which were only his mentor, and Orchid, his district partner. That he had managed to annoy the sweet little twelve year old showed how much he could wind people up. Right now he was biding his time, learning some of the weaknesses of his opponents, a way to hurt them in the game. He had sharp ears and he had been listening to the conversations of the other tributes, all of which had been rather interesting to listen to. The three career boy's had been discussing who they thought would be easy targets, whilst lifting weights. The three twelve year olds of the bunch had been talking, well Orchid and Samyal had been discussing what they missed about home, whilst they were looking through a manual on edible plants, and then Adym had walked over and started trying to big himself up in front of the other two. Which failed. Mychal would relish taunting those two tributes about how quickly they would die in the arena. The boy from seven and the boy from twelve had been talking about the rebellion, and both of them agreed that they should have fought harder, both having exactly the same views on how awful the capitol was. Mychal could easily hurt them by stating the obvious fact they were the pawns of the capitol. Then there was Peterson and Fran, whose names he had learnt from the conversation from the career boys, who were discussing the boy from district nine, who Peterson seemed to be rather smitten with. If Mychal could find some way to hold the boy hostage, Peterson would be completely at his mercy. They were the only tributes that were in conversations, but he could tell Primrose Everdeen's weakness without needing to speak to her, he simply needed to mention Katniss to make her get upset. His ears pricked up at the sound of a new voice, the district one girl, who was talking to the boy from nine and the girl from ten, who were having a little trouble tying some knots. He subtly moved over to a rack of swords and leant against it, to listen to their conversation on more detail, and find a little more about these tributes. He adjusted himself to get a little more comfortable, and cursed as one of the blades cut a gash in his back. He grimaced and took a step away from the rack, just in time to follow the two girls from the knot trio, who had just moved off to a more private area of the room, to have a conversation that Mychal was going to enjoy using as blackmail.

* * *

"What do you want?" Jodi said, the second the two girls were out of sight.

Topaz thought like lightning then decided she would use the flirting as a last resort. "I just wanted to talk about something."

"What exactly?" Jodi replied, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms.

"Erm…" Topaz panicked, and said the first thing that entered her head. "I'm a Lesbian!"

"Excuse me?" Jodi returned, eyes widening in shock for a few moments, before a look of annoyance crossed her features. "Is this some sort of sick joke?"

Topaz could barely speak, her blush covered face was too much for her to cope with, she simply stood in front of the other girl, feeling rather light headed. Then she started to feel very light headed, before she felt her knees go a little weak.

"Oh this is not happening…" Topaz started, coming under the realisation that she was feeling light headed because she was embarrassed, as she always did.

"Are you okay?" Jodi began, watching the other girl go from crimson to ivory in seconds, before her face lost all colour.

"Yeah… Just when I get nervous…" She managed, before her knees buckled and she stumbled into the slightly shorter girl, landing with her head on the top of the breasts of the lesbian.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" She screamed, pushing the girl off of her, who quickly tumbled to the floor.

"Sorry…" Topaz muttered sheepishly. "I slipped."

"You don't fucking say!"

"I don't see what you are so pissy about. You're a lesbo anyway…"

"I AM NOT A LESBIAN! I'M NOT! I'M NOT! I'M NOT!" Jodi raged in response slamming her fist into the plastic rack of tarnished knifes behind her, which fell to the floor with a crash, catapulting knifes around the training room, which proceeded to make their mark on every nearby surface. It was a near miracle that none of the tributes got hurt, but it came close to being like that, and that was clearly too close for the comfort of some of the tributes.

"WHO THE FUCK JUST THREW THAT!" The girl from eleven, Magenta, shouted in a ghetto like fashion.

Jodi glanced around nervously, looking at the peacekeepers and tributes that there sending looks at her. "Sorry." She said shyly, looking down at the floor.

"Bitch wanna' piece of me? Is that what you sayin'?"  
"I…"

"Get your punk ass up and I'll show you how quickly I can whoop your ass!"

"What?"  
"Oh it's on now. Bring it on bitch! What ya' gonna do then pussy?"

"ALRIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH!" A menacing shout filled the room, which originated from the tallest, strongest peacekeeper with far too deep a voice walked up to Magenta and violently cuffed her across the face. "Listen up tributes. I have an announcement to make." A grin pushed at his features at the look on the majority of the tribute's faces. "I understand that some people have been discussing rumours that the games this year will be cancelled." He paused to smile. "And I think you will all be happy to know that we can confirm these rumours."

Some screams of joy echoed throughout the room as the knowledge passed over the tributes that they would no longer need to face the horror of the games. Topaz, who was now standing, slouched down and sighed deeply, half in depression, half in happiness. Samyal and Orchid drew each other into a hug, whilst Peterson and Fran did the same. Levyir grinned and looked over at Liana, who had a little sadness in her face, which was quickly removed with a hug. Ceres had a huge, gleeful smirk plastered over his features whist Lucien had the biggest scowl pushing at his mouth. Garnett had a small smile, and sent a sly glance at Levyir. Magenta had a look of anger covering her face, dabbing her bleeding lip with affection. Prim was the only one who was looking at the peacekeeper with a look of fear, which was brought on by a memory. She had seen this peacekeeper before. She recognised the ugly scar that ran down the side of his jaw. She had seen it before. He was not only just a peacekeeper. He was the head peacekeeper. He was the man who arranged the public beatings against the rebel leaders. He was also the man who lead night raids on the districts that made any sort of attempt at rebellion. He was the man who personally foresaw the transfer of the entire population of district thirteen back to their home districts. He was the man who taunted the Mellark family about leading the 'hijacking' of their son. He was probably the staunchest supporter of the games that existed. Why was he telling them that they were free? As if answering Prim's question, the man let out a polite cough to get everybody's attention.

"As I was saying, tributes. You will be happy to know that we can confirm these rumours… As being false." An unearthly silence fell over the tributes as the man smiled sadistically, before he continued. "However we can confirm that these games will be not only a test of survival, but also how worthy you are. As the last games revealed, the victor needs to be able to resist their own temptations. Which is why the arena will play on any foul intentions you may have, in the form of seven challenges. Each pulls on a sin. Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Wrath, Envy, Sloth and Pride. So, I hope you are all prepared to face yourselves, as well as each other." He then let out an evil laugh and waltzed out of the room, trailed by his posy of four peacekeepers, leaving twenty four tributes even more certain of their own death then they had ever been before, combined with the heavy feeling of having false hope settling at the bottom of their stomach, eliminating the most valuable emotion they could feel.

Hope.


	16. Complex Minds

**Okay it is a little uneventful, and it is not like the characters need building, but it is important. **

**Home you enjoy. **

**R&R**

**Just want to say thanks to the amazing Jaine1324  
**

**And the sexy Shipwrecked**

**XD**

**xxx**

* * *

Chapter 15. Complex Minds.

Topaz stalked through the hall silently, walking towards a small side passage that seemingly lead to nowhere. From what she knew of Garnett, he would be somewhere that people probably wouldn't look, and she could easily see the only place in the room. She wanted to find out what was wrong with Garnett, she needed to. Garnett wasn't the type of person to storm of because he had been kept in the games, unlike the amount of the younger tributes who had fallen into tears, or a stream of violence and cursing, like Magenta had. There was something else there, something hidden beneath the surface, something painful. After walking for a while, she found him. Sat on the bottom step of the stairwell that the Avox had to use, being lower class than everybody else. He was sobbing quietly, and immediately Topaz knew that it was not because of his hand. Garnett was remotely comfortable with Topaz, but there was no way he would ever let anyone see him cry. Topaz considered walking up to him, but knew it was safer to let him know that she was there from a distance.

"Garn?" She asked quietly, and sympathetically, a tone that nobody else would ever catch her using. She heard him scramble about, clearly trying to dry his face, before she knew that he clearly needed to let it out. "It's okay. I won't tell anyone. I promise." She continued, sitting down next to him, putting her arm around the larger boy.

"I'm fine." He said, trying to gain control over himself. "It's just that guy from nine, he gets to me."

"Garnett, I can only help if you tell me the truth. I can tell that this is a hell of a lot more than a crush" She replied in a stern but gentle tone.

"I don't know Topaz. He is just… He's different."

"I take it that isn't just because he is the first ever tribute to wield a crossbow properly?"  
"I kind of... I don't know… I just feel really weird."

"Have you felt like this about someone before?"

"Well… Marvel… But he's gone and…"

"Wait? You fancy Lev… And you felt the same for Marvel? Your brother?"

"I thought… Oh no. That was Rhine who knew about my incestrious streak..."  
"Incestrious streak?"

"I'm beyond caring about that anymore. I'm just going to die soon anyway."

"It isn't so bad… It is just less common in one… I mean Kat… _She _like loved her cousin didn't she? But let's forget about your brother… Lev is here now, and I think you _do_ know what you feel about him."

"Yeah, you're right. I do know, and I fucking hate it. But what if there is nothing I can do about it? What if I still 'like' Lev when we are in the games? What if when it comes to killing him I can't do it? What if I end up killing myself so I don't end up killing him?"

"Do something to test it. There might not be anything there. Maybe just a bit of lust."

Then Garnett spoke again, the weakest that Topaz, or anyone else had ever heard it. "But what if there is something there?"

* * *

Levyir was actually speechless. He was never speechless. Apart from now. He had walked out of the room a minute or so after Topaz had, and had followed the sound of her heavy footsteps on the floor until he came to a dark corridor, where he could hear the conversation between the two careers perfectly. The girl from two had been telling the truth. Garnett fancied him, at least. Lev knew he needed to say something, he could hardly just eavesdrop on their conversation and then walk off, he had to address it. He stopped thinking as the voices started again.

"Well then we will have to cross that bridge when we come to it. Now come on. You need to go and show off to that boy. To minimize the sweet talking that you need to do." Topaz said cheekily, and from the following noise the two of them were walking back towards Lev, but the following topic of conversation forced him to stay put.

"I bet you'd want him to wield your crossbow." She said, before laughing manically.

"I don't know whether that is an insult or an Innuendo." He said back, in a cheerful voice.

"Either way. Shove your cock up his arse and give his brains a good bashing and I'm sure all the lust will go away, and debilitate him for the bloodbath."  
"Topaz! I'm not just going to shag him. I think that would be called rape. He might not like me." He finished, as the two of them walked past Flux, who decided it was a good time to speak.

"You won't 'give my brains a good bashing' if I tell you I heard all of that will you?" He said, sarcastically, with a sly grin on his face. Garnett and Topaz then froze, and slowly turned around. Topaz's expression was a concealed laugh and Cato's was horror, as Lev decided it would be better to not give them a chance to speak.

"I have to say, that as much as I like the idea of you lusting over me in the games. This appeals to me much more." He said, as he closed the distance between Garnett and himself in a heartbeat and pressed their lips firmly together. The kiss was light and soft, nothing much, but still enough to bring out a small blush in the cheeks of the taller boy. Lev withdrew his lips and looked into Garnett's eyes, savouring the lavish warm taste in his mouth. The look in Garnett's eyes made Lev regret kissing him. A look of rage was burning strongly in them, burning like a fire.

"That was pathetic." Garnett said, drawing a surprised moan from Lev as the taller boy lifted him up, and pinned him against a wall, before attacking his lips with a furious passion, in an attempt to regain his manliness. Lev felt Garnett's tongue hungrily ask for entrance to his mouth, which he gladly granted, using his own tongue to shock him. Levyir couldn't help but roll his eyes about how aggressive the two guys who had kissed him so far were as he drew his legs up around the taller boy's waist, tightening a hold on him when he felt a hard nudge against his arse. Lev may have been the lesser of the two boys in a fight, but he wasn't going to let Garnett get the better of him easily. Lev broke the kiss, drawing a moan of annoyance from Garnett, before Lev plunged his mouth onto the neck of the platinum blonde, exploring the skin there with curiosity, trying to find the location that would draw the biggest reaction from the career, which he swiftly found. Once Lev had found the sensitive spot, he focused himself solely on it, biting and sucking on it hungrily, the obedience from Garnett telling him the career had not guessed his intent. Once he was satisfied that there would be a big enough mark there, Lev withdrew his legs from the boy's waist, putting his feet firmly on the floor, before pulling away from the older boy altogether. Lev looked at the mark he had made. It was much better that he had hoped, the purple bruise would remain for a while, just how the younger boy had intended it.

"Well Garnett. I thought you said you weren't going to bash my brains." He said teasingly running his finger over the mark he had left.

"You are acting like I couldn't kill you in seconds." Garnett breathed, his masculinity stampeding back to him.  
"And you are acting like…" Lev said, giggling, as he walked away from Garnett, past Topaz, who had stood with wide eyes for the duration of the kiss. Garnett turned around towards Lev, who had stopped just behind Topaz, who was now giggling.

"Like what?"

"Like you don't have the most enormous hickey ever on your neck." Lev said, before he started laughing uncontrollably.

Cato looked at the boy with horror, then tried to boost his manliness up even more. "Well you have given me one before, and that was gone before the morning."

"Yeah, but this was actually meant to stay. That should be an interesting story to share with Caesar during your interview." Lev giggled at Garnett, who then looked at Topaz who was also staring at his neck.

"It's worse than you think." She said, stifling a laugh herself, as she drew a dagger from her pocket, and gave it to Garnett, to use as a mirror.

His eyes widened in horror as he saw the mark, looking up at the boy with a mixture of anger, and happiness, at the thought he might finally have someone special to care about, until the games at least, where he might lose him the same way he lost the last boy he loved. Garnett knew there was something there.

"I'll get you for that." He said coldly, but with a mischievous look on his face, before he ran towards the younger boy, who darted out of the way quickly, before he looked back in the direction of the training room.

"I expect that I will see you stalking me a little later on." Lev said cheekily, before he strutted back towards the training room, leaving Garnett and Topaz alone.

"Well?" Topaz asked impatiently, tapping her foot on the floor. "Is there something there?"

"Yeah." Garnett muttered softly, before he walked towards the room, almost as if following after the younger boy.

"He has no idea how complicated this will be now." Topaz muttered, before following after her friend. "Couldn't have had it simple like Ceres."


	17. Secrets

**Thank you for the wonderful reviews!**

**Hope you enjoy.**

**Some much needed character building here. **

**Please review!**

**xxx**

* * *

Chapter 15. Secrets

His eyes shot open, before he blinked a few times, and they began drifting back shut. He groaned a little and stretched his limbs out over the soft material of his bed. With a yawn, he sat up, flexing his shoulders and finally fully opening his eyes. He quickly got out of bed, knowing he would want to go back to sleep any second now, and crossed the room to the mirror. With a few stokes of his hand his dark brown hair was less messy then it had been before, but it still felt uncomfortably greasy under his fingers. Though he would never admit it, some things about the capitol appealed to him, such as fine smelling shampoo and conditioner that made his hair feel and smell amazing. He walked over to the connecting bathroom and removed his undergarments, stepping into the shower quickly. The water was hot on his skin and he loved the feeling of the warmth around him. He blindly reached down to get some shampoo that he had expected to be on the side, he felt about for it aimlessly, before he stepped out of the cascading stream to look. There wasn't any shampoo in the shower. Cursing, he glanced out of the cubical, seeing it on the shelf on the other side of the room, placed as if it wanted him to get cold. He frowned and walked across the steamed up room, making a mental note to say something to the Avox who cleaned his bedroom. He shivered, gripping the bottle and angrily squirting a ridiculously large amount of the liquid into his hands and lathering it into his hair, as he walked back towards the shower, scowling. The shower stopped a few minutes later, after he had washed his hair three times, and he then grabbed a towel from the side, slinging it around his waist. He preferred to let his hair dry naturally, and that would take about ten minutes in the tower, judging from the heating. Lying on his bed again may not have been the most productive way to spend his ten minutes drying time, but that was how he was going to spend it. After all, he would probably die in a few days, and he wanted to enjoy the little things. Soon enough he was ready and dressed, hair neat and tidy with a shine to it. He then slid into his training clothes, before leaving the comfort of his room. To his surprise the living room of the tower was in darkness. He frowned in confusion, and looked at the red numbers on the digital clock on the end table near him. _5:30. _He scowled. Why had he woken up so early? And then he remembered. The nightmare. It took him back to a day in his youth, his first attempt of running away from home, from parents who he believed to be mad, people who actually enjoyed watching the games. He was ten years old. Three hours later he was dragged home to him parents by a couple of peacekeepers, of course given lashes for his crime. From that day on he had hated the capitol, but ever since he was reaped he had realised that him being caught by the peacekeepers got him reaped. He realised that he was going to die because the peacekeepers had found him. One particular peacekeeper in fact. One he and his district partner had had run-ins with. Sunny. His face dropped, and he walked over to the dorm of Alisha, which was ajar. He pushed it gently and peered inside. Empty. Immidiately numerous possibilitys flicked through his immagineation and he feared the worse, but then he remembered that Alisha did enjoy the view from the roof, and she would likely be there. With a deep breath, he prepared to face his fear of flying and moved towards the lift, needing someone sane to talk to.

* * *

Alisha took in a deep breath and savoured the freshness of the air, before she took a glance over the roof. She wasn't the only person there. A thin figure was stood against the barrier, light brown hair blowing in the breeze.

"Hello?" Alisha said quietly, as not to alarm the figure.

"Hello. Alisha right?" The figure returned, turning around to face the olive skinned girl.

"Yes, it's Vayne isn't it?"

"Yeah." The boy returned, as Alisha walked up to stand next to him, taking a deep breath and looking over the city, faintly lit by the occasional neon light indicating a brothel or nightclub. "I guess I'm not the only one who is haunted by their past."

"No… I think every tribute here has something haunting them, even the careers."

"Not everyone. Nine hasn't had anything bad happen to him."

"How do you know?"  
"You can tell, he is happy all the time. Never dwells upon bad moments in his life. The worst thing that has probably happened to Lev is probably his last boyfriend breaking up with him, after he cheated on whatever guy actually managed to put up with his energetic and overly happy nature for more than five minutes."

"Wow… You really don't like him."

"No. The opposite. He is fucking gorgeous. But there is no way in Panem that I could ever contend with Peterson or Garnett, why would the self-obsessed little slut ever want to be with a whore like me. Maybe if I looked like Finnick fuck-me Odair, but I fucking don't! I'm just some street whore who is going to die unloved and unwanted for fuck sake!"

Alisha was shocked by the outburst of the usually quiet boy. Alisha scolded herself for forgetting that she was not the only person who had problems. This boy had told them all the night before that he had moved out of his home last year and had been forced to sell himself to any man or woman who had come along with enough money to allow himself to buy some food.

"I-I'm sorry… I know how you feel though. I was raped by a peacekeeper back in seven, and he killed my father. I was basically his mistress for five years until I volunteered."  
"I know I shouldn't, but sometimes I just can't help but feel sorry for the capitol. They get blamed for everything, but all of my problems were caused by my own family."

"How can you say that, if the capitol didn't exist then you could have just gone to another district, maybe been adopted."  
"If the capitol didn't exist neither of us would have been able to escape the hell we lived every day."  
"If the capitol didn't exist I wouldn't have lived in a hell!"

"But not everything is about you is it!"

Alisha was shocked about the views this boy had, and would have argued her point more had the boy not been sobbing, so instead she took a more sympathetic approach.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout at you. I was just angry."  
"I-I give up. I-I have nothing to live for. I just want to die."  
"Don't…"

"N-no. I'm going to just do it. Go if you don't want to watch." Vayne said firmly, tears shaking his voice.

He moved towards the ledge and took a step onto the railing that ran around it. He took a deep breath and whispered something inaudible, before he took a step forwards. Time seemed to slow down as he began falling through mid-air, falling downwards in a suicide that wasn't even because of the capitol. He had disappeared into the night seconds later and Alisha simply stood alone on the roof, whimpering feebly under the realisation that she was the catalyst that caused this boy to kill himself. She slowly slid down to the floor as a faint vibration rippled through the air, and an electrical hum that she had assumed was the generator stopped for a few moments, before continuing. Her eyes snapped up as a half conscious Vayne was flung back up onto the roof, landing directly on top of her.

He coughed and spluttered for a few moments before he feebly whispered. "I think there is a force field."

Alisha half laughed, half cried, and affectionately moved her hand down to the boy's face, that was bathed in pale moonlight. "You are so stupid."  
"Thanks." He returned, giving a small chuckle that ended in a coughing fit.

Alisha felt a pang of emotion in her heart as the boy sat up and she lost body contact with him, and she leant forward to whisper in his ear, something totally spontaneous, a remnant of something that she would have said before she had been raped.

"Personally I think you look much better than 'Finnick fuck-me Odair'." She said softly, quoting the boy from earlier. She didn't want any romantic attachments before she entered the games, but the moonlight, the view and the fact that he had almost killed himself dictated the mood.

He softly giggled in response. "You don't need to try and make me feel better you know. I'm not that unstable."

"I'm not just trying." She muttered.

And then they kissed. It was not deep, not passionate, really nothing more than a soft brushing of lips. But it conveyed the comfort and love that Alisha wanted to give the boy, and the two of them both had to admit it was the most intimate moment of their lives.

"For Joanna's sake guys. Everybody is kissing everybody in this place! Seriously."

"Damn it. That boy is an overly energetic slut, and now he is an oracle."

Alisha grinned at Vayne's comment and knew that he was referring to Levyir's description of district nine during the truth or dare session. The three of them then stood in silence, all taking in a good look of the second to last natural sunrise they were likely to see in their lives.

"Alliance?"


	18. Show me what you've got

**Things are speeding up a little now.**

**Just to say... If a tribute does something that you didn't want them to...**

**Please don't moan. I need to vary things.**

**Please review.**

**xxx**

* * *

Chapter 17. Show me what you've got

Topaz smiled evilly. She was the first tribute to 'preform' to the sponsors and she knew what she was planning to do. She had had enough training with spears to make her pretty lethal with them and she saw it as the perfect time to show that. She walked through the door confidently, all the other tributes looking at her, as she was the first to go. She strode over to the weapon stand, which held three spears as she had requested.

"Topaz Colton. District one." She said firmly, before taking a hold of one of the spears on the rack, and testing its balance.

When she was satisfied about how far it would go and how much power she would use, she made a run towards the human shaped cardboard cut-out of Katniss Everdeen. Garnett would be happy. The spear hit directly in the forehead of the cut-out, which was then joined by a second spear a moment latter, then a third soon after that. Overall the process took only a few seconds, and Tobius Megalore was watching keenly, as a viewing a recording of the demonstration of Katniss Everdeen's 'performance' showed that her fiery spirit came because of Seneca's bad patience.

"Enough." He said, when the girl seemed done, partially because she had no more spears.  
"Thank you." She said sweetly, blowing a small kiss in his direction, before walking out of the room, smiling as if she knew she had done well.

* * *

"Garnett Hayes. District one" Garnett almost shouted at the gamemakers, before he picked up a heavy and brutal looking mace and swung it into the rack that it was stood on, breaking it.

He was trying to show off how strong he was. His usual power was heightened from the room being full of Katniss mannequins, which he would gladly destroy. He roughly walked towards the closest one and swung at it, knocking it to the side as if it were paper. He then moved to where three were fairly clustered, and with an arcing swipe they were all sent to the floor. He darted between the mannequin's for a few more minutes, destroying each one with ease before Tobius filled the room with his exclamation.

"Enough."

Garnett nodded his head, walking back through the waiting room, filled with the other tributes. He walked past them all, holding his head high, proud of how well he had destroyed the mannequins, he was sure he had impressed the gamemakers. He quickly entered the elevator, pressing the 1 button, taking him up to the floor where he and the other careers, would meet after the training.

* * *

"Liana Keaten. District two." The girl said confidently, eyeing the five throwing stars that sat on the stand in front of her.

She glanced up at the gamemakers quickly, and saw Tobius smile and gesture for her to begin. She took the stars slowly and held four in one hand and one in the other, when she turned to look at the six Katniss cut-out's that stood before her. No problem. She darted forward and threw the star into the right eye of the first Katniss, then threw another two stars at the cut-out's behind it, hitting the heart and throat respectively. She then threw another star at the furthest Katniss from her, which left her with one to deal with two targets. Easy. She adjusted her hold and jumped into the air, throwing the star at the closest Mannequin, which cut a steady gash across the throat of it, then continued its path until it hit the last mannequin in the head. Perfectly.

* * *

"Lucien Claws. District Two" The career coldly whispered at the gamemakers, before he picked up a stout sword and swung it around to get a sense of the weight of it.

Making the choice between a weapon to choose was difficult, he had liked every weapon and was good with them all, other than the crossbow, which his only attempt of using had resolved in hitting the target two targets over from the one he was aiming for, and really hurting his arm. He had chosen the sword in the end because the other careers were using the other weapons, and he wanted to be as individual as he could. He span around and struck a nearby mannequin, decapitating is, before he slammed his sword into the chest of the next. He span around again, aiming for a nearby mannequin, covering the cround in seconds.

"Enough."

Lucien scowled a little, he hadn't really shown off everything he had, but it was too late now. He walked away, and then caught his foot on a mannequin. He recovered quickly, but it defiantly didn't help his ego, seeing as he could hear the Gamemakers laughing at him.

* * *

Rayleigh sighed as she walked through the door, looking fearfully at the gamemakers before she stated her name.

"Rayleigh Caliper. District Three." She said softly, before she eyed the gauntlet.

She had taken on the task already and knew she could do it easily. She was nimble and fast, she could run pretty quick, and her other talents would have been undermined by the work of some of the stronger tributes that had already been. Rayleigh ran towards the first platform and used it to vault up onto the second one, jumping out of the way of a club that was swung at her. She quickly proceeded up the other platforms, darting and diving, showing how agile she was, before getting to the top. She smiled, and jumped up off the top platform, diving onto the floor below with a smile, landing on her feet with her back arced, something that Enna had instructed her to do, to show she was gutsy. She quickly stood up and begun walking back towards the game makers before she heard a quick.

"Enough." From Tobius, who was looking a little bit tipsy. When she got back into the corridor, she gave a high five to Enna, who was her little ally for the game.

* * *

"Adym Olivers. District three." The boy spat snobbishly, before he looked up at the gamemakers, who nodded to him.

He ingorently expected to get a high mark, regardless of what he did, and was very overconfident about it. He had gone for the trap's station, getting some final practice at a simple trap he had made the previous day, unintentionally doing something boring that the gamemakers would not be patient enough to watch. Adym got to work, tying some of the crucial knots quickly and effectively, weaving an intricate pattern that was designed to trap someone, whilst he could escape. He stumbled a couple of times, and almost messed it up at one point, It had taken a good while to get it right on a good try, and just he was almost a quarter done.

"Enough!" Shouted from Tobius, who was stood at the edge of the railings, irritated by the boring nature of the activity, despite trying not to be.

Adym walked off slowly, smiling as he expected that everything had gone according to plan, Oblivious to the mess he had left in his wake.

* * *

"Rhine Summers. District Four." She said firmly, before taking a hold of the length of flexible chord that sat uncomfortably on the stand and exploding into a dance of death, spinning around and lashing the makeshift whip in random directions, as if fighting invisible opponents.

She was showing off her speed and agility, as well as how sexy she was, by giving twirls and bending over backwards in an attempt to seduce the game makers. She then lashed out quickly towards one of the Katniss mannequins and the chord wrapped around it's leg, pulling it to the floor with a crash. A quick dart towards it ended with the Katniss having a broken head, leaving the second mannequin open to her grand finale. She ran towards it and dived down to the floor, sliding between its legs and standing back up on the other side, lashing out to wrap the whip around the neck of the fake mockingjay and sending a strong kick to its back, a manoeuvre which would cut of air supply instantly. Something fatal.

* * *

The first thing Ceres did was flash a sexy grin towards the gamemakers, something that fell of his face when he saw they were all male. He then walked to the stand and mad sure to use his most masculine voice, which was there to help his masculinity boost itself back up.

"Ceres Sometimes." He tried to conceal his grin over the memory of what happened the last time he said his full name. "District four."

He knew exactly what to do; he had been planning for it for a while. He orrigionally wanted to use a bow, but he really wasn't good with it, dropping the arrow and getting the bowstring caught behind his ear. Then his attempt with the crossbow had ended up with him catching his finger in the firing mechanism, something he had not enjoyed. His throwing knife attempt had gone down like a cup of cold sick. And his attempt at throwing stars had left him with a nasty cut on his hand. He was annoyed about not being able to use a ranged weapon but to his delight had excelled in using paired swords. He knew he simply needed to give them a few swings and debilitate a couple on mannequins to get him a good score, and with a smile, he got to work.

* * *

"Orchid Whisheart. District five." The young girl muttered softly, utterly intimidated by the upcoming event.

She took a deep breath and remembered why she needed to do good, because she wanted to do better than the pig headed district partner she had, just to annoy him. The gamemakers beckoned her to begin, and she moved to pick up the crossbow on the weapon stand. She was nowhere near as good with the crossbow as Levyir had been, but she could use it, unlike any other tribute who had tried. Levyir had even given the little girl some useful pointers such as keeping the cocking stirrup out at all times so reloading would be slightly quicker. She aimed the crossbow at the circular target, glad that the crossbows had been given circular ones as she was sure that shooting a target with Katniss Everdeen on it would have been much more difficult for her, and with a deep breath, she fired the bolt.

* * *

"Mychal Kane. District Five." He said quickly, before the gamemakers indicated he could start.

Mychal was cunning, he knew she couldn't display a talent that the gamemakers would see, and he would get a low mark anyway, so he decided to play on this, and make himself seem weak, as to make himself less of a target. He had got the idea from the biggest crush of his life, who he had large posters of in his bedroom at home. Joanna Mason. He had more or less copied her strategy and wanted to make himself seem weak to the other tributes. He took one of the knifes from the stand and made to throw it, and it fell about four metres in front of him. He then took another one and it 'fell' out of his hand as he lifted it above his head in preparation to throw it.

"Enough." Tobius said lazily, clearly sure that Mychal had nothing major to offer.

Mychal smiled and left the room. All was going to plan.

* * *

"Enna Emerald. District six." She said softly, shyly glancing up at the gamemakers, who were eyeing her with something more than curiosity.

She glanced at the two knifes that were on the stand, her original intention had been to throw them, but she knew she would not hit the targets well, so instead she decided to go in close with them, acting as though they were small swords. She took a deep breath and lifted them off the stand. They were lighter than she had thought. She turned to look at the Katniss mannequins that stood in the room, and make a run for them. She needed to get a mid-range score so she wouldn't be seen as a meal, or a threat. She increased her pace, brandishing the daggers as she moved closer to the target, when the unthinkable happened.

She slipped. Not a light stumble that would give her a grazed knee, a full on fall that sent her sprawling to the ground. She grunted and sat up, slightly dazed, but even more embarrassed, as she glanced up at her former target, thinking of a way to recover. She couldn't. He daggers were embedded in the chest of the mannequin. Although it wasn't her intention, it must have impressed the gamemakers as Tobius'.

"Enough"

Was definitely not one of unhappiness, but maybe that was because she had unintentionally given the gamemakers a good view of her perfect arse when she fell, the tight white training suit only making it look better. Only time would tell.

* * *

Vayne didn't really have a talent that he could show the gamemakers. His only two qualities for the games were his Masochistic nature, and his Sadistic nature. The former being something he could show. How much he could cope with pain.

"Vayne Harglade. District six." He said quietly, grapping the knife and relishing his next action with ecstasy.

He took the blade and pulled it neatly across his wrist, forming a deep gash that immediately flowed with crimson blood. He heard some shouts coming from the gamemakers as the blood dripping blade clattered on the floor, but that was all distant to him now. He couldn't resist it. The blood that was streaming from his wrist. Vayne smiled lewdly. The lure took him. He felt himself reaching out and running his fingers through the hot liquid oozing out of himself, gently pressing into the gorge he created. The pain burned through him, but the warmth of the flames did nothing against his cold heart. With a wicked smile, he closed his eyes and ran his warm, dripping fingers across his face, the drops that landed on his lips eagerly lapped up by his tongue. Alisha wouldn't have kissed him had she known he had drunk blood on numerous occasions.

"STOP!"

The sudden shout took him out of his trance of bloodlust as he sent curious eyes towards the gamemakers, some of whom were looking very pale.

"Just showing how much pain I can take sir." The boy replied softly, standing up and making a move towards the exit, eagerly awaiting the look on some of the tributes faces when they saw the blood dripping off of it.


	19. A bird that will not sing

Chapter 18. A bird that will not sing

Alisha shot a glance over at the gamemakers, who were poised over their plates off buffet food ready to eat, but more eager to see the beautiful young girl perform. She strode over to the weapon stand, which held a small hand axe that she had requested.

"Alisha Rosa. District seven." She said firmly, before taking a hold of the handle of the small axe and waking towards the climbing wall that stood with a Katniss situated at the bottom. Alisha grasped the handholds and began pulling herself up, climbing quickly and efficiently, a skill learnt from home. She was supprisingly fast for someone holding a hand axe, which didn't slip at all, the girl was fully concentrated. When she reached the top she took a moment to catch her breath and Tobius Megalore was watching keenly, eager to see what the next thing she would do was. She jumped. She must have been a good ten metres of the ground, but she jumped anyway. She hit the ground safely and the a clunk sounded less than a second after. Tobius glanced at the Katniss, which now had no head. Had he been able to clap, he would off, but his professionalism kept hold, and he simply said.

"Enough."

* * *

"Ray Nightheart. District seven." The boy said, glancing at the array of knifes that were on the stand in front of him.

He looked over them, and picked up each of them to test their weight, before he collected them up and held three of them in his left hand, between the fingers, as if they were claws, and he held one in his mouth. The fifth throwing knife was in his hand, ready to be thrown at the Katniss cut out that was taunting him from the other side of the room. His eyes hardened and he lifted his arm up, throwing the knife strongly at the target. It hit it in the side of the stomach. It wouldn't have killed her had that really been Katniss Everdeen, but that didn't matter. It would have hurt. He then flung his hand to his mouth and carefully took the second knife, and threw it, then the third and fourth from his hand, which hit her left shoulder, her right hip, and her right breast respectively. He needed to hit her somewhere it would have killed her. He took a deep breath as he readied his final knife, drawing it up, and throwing it hard. The following clang showed that he had missed his target, and the knife had ended up a few feet behind it, to which he scowled, but there was nothing more that could be done.

* * *

Fran glanced at the Gamemakers who were stood in the observation platform above the training room, eyeing her eagerly, awaiting to see what she could do. Fran herself took a deep breath and continued walking towards the stand that held the collection of knifes she had requested. She was nervous. Of course she was nervous. Not only was the session going to determine how high she would be viewed in the eyes of Panem, but it would also determine how far she would get in the games before she was targeted by some of the stronger careers. She grimaced at the thought of dying at the bloodbath that occurred during every game, and was sure that she would not be attending it. She was quietly confident about the games, she did have an alliance after all, and a fairly large one. Herself and Peterson were in it, with Jodi as well. Even Primrose had joined it, being fairly good friends with Fran. This unfortunately put Levyir at more of a distance, who seemed to be getting rather close with the career tributes, particularly Liana. Erika was also not willing to be in the alliance, despite being friends with the rest of the group. Fran then snapped back to her senses and said, shakily.

"Franaelle Glassweaver. District eight."

* * *

"Peterson Loomer. District eight"

The gamemakers gestured at the boy, indicating for him to begin, which he did, moving over to the trap station, which held the components he had asked for. Peterson had discovered him trap making ability rather quickly, his eye for detail making him better at positioning the various components together. He got to work quickly, making sure to be quick in the task as to not bore the gamemakers, and get him sent away before revealing his potential. He threaded wires through holes and made sure they were all taught, making sure that he was still captivating his audience. He had finished the trap. He took a deep breath, and prayed that it would work. He gently moved out his foot and nudged the wire, which pulled the pin out of its respective hole, which in turn released the firing mechanism for the trap. A cluster of debris was launched across the room, hitting one of the columns with a heavy thud. Peterson smiled confidently, and glanced up at the gamemakers, who gestured for him to leave, and he left happily. Certain that he did well.

* * *

"Erika Cinsero. District nine." The short girl said softly, gaining a gesture of approval from the dreadlocked gamemaker, who seemed to be much more patient than she had expected.

Erika took the bow from the stand, and glanced down at the bow that was on the rack in front of her. Erika knew that her skill would be compared to Katniss Everdeen, who was the last tribute to use the bow, and had been bloody skilled with it. This had put of every tribute from this year about using the bow. But not her. She took the silver arrow and notched it into the bowstring, drawing it back do it sat behind her ear. With a deep breath, she let go, and the arrow shot across the room, landing perfectly in the bulls-eye of a circular target. She then repeted this action and hit the next target along, again in the bulls-eye. She continued this until the five silver arrows were embedded in the circular targets in front of her, and she gently placed the bow back on the rack and began walking out of the room, not waiting for the 'enough' that would signal the tributes to leave. Showing she was gutsy without any risks.

* * *

"Levyir Pulse. District nine." The blonde said loudly, allowing all of the gamemakers to look at him before he begun.

Levyir took a hold of the silver crossbow that just about sat on the plastic stand, and smiled, as he took it into his hands. It had a pre-loaded bolt in it. He swung it up and shot the circular target, hitting perfectly in the bulls-eye, before swinging the crossbow down again, placing his foot on the cocking stirrup of the weapon, before flexing his fingers around the string and pulling it back up until the click let him know it was ready to fire again. Levyr quickly loaded a new bolt into the crossbow and fired it, it landed directly below the previous one, no longer in the bulls-eye, but still in line with the previous bolt. He repeated the process again until his final bolt was ready to fire, when he glanced up at the watching gamemakers. Who all seemed fairly pleased with his ability. Which is where he grew a little big headed. Levyir softly walked over to a circular target that was propped up against the side of the archery station and, gripping the crossbow firmly in his left hand, he drew up the target in his right. Quick as a flash, he frisbeed the target in the direction of the gamemakers, before swapping hands with the crossbow, lining it up, and shooting. The bolt pierced the bulls-eye of the target, despite it spinning through the air, and the strength of the shot shattered the thin target into pieces. The fragments of the target drifted down to the floor whilst the bolt ricocheted off of the concrete wall. He smiled, and gently placed the crossbow back on the rack and gave a neat bow, where the 'enough' from the head gamemaker signalled his dismissal. And he confidently walked off.

* * *

Jodi worriedly stood up after Levyir walked back into the corridor, with a smile plastered over his features. She knew she was going to be showing her skills in less than a minute, but she still didn't really know what to do. She had been 'good' at everything, but there was nothing she really excelled in. At first she thought about showing off her fire building skills, but then she remembered a moment in the seventy fourth hunger games where a girl had lit a fire and was then found and killed by the careers. Mercilessly. She didn't really think her fire building skills would help her. She then considered showing off her spear throwing, but then she had second thoughts after remembering that the career girl used spears, and she was good with them. Jodi knew that she could throw much further than anybody else from the tributes, but she also knew she couldn't hit water if she were standing on a boat. She finally concluded that her strength was the most important thing to show, so she had asked for some weights to be put in the room for her. She was still worried that she would not be showing enough off to get a decent score, but it was all too late for that now. It was time.

"Jodi Archer. District ten."

* * *

"Samyal Hames. District ten." The young boy said softly, shaking from his nerves.

The games were unfair. He had spent most nights at the capitol crying, because he knew that he wasn't going to get very far. He was expected to go up against boy's twice his size. He hadn't even hit puberty yet and his growth spurt was non-existent, yet there were some boy's there who had pectoral muscles that were the side of his head, or had a perfect way with words and manipulation. He had overheard some of them talking about one the boys hanging a horse, and from people's reactions it was impressive. It upset Samyal a little bit though, he liked horses. Samyal looked at the three axes that were on the delicate weapon stand in front of him, picking up one of them, and getting ready to throw it. He concentrated like he had seen Alisha do when she threw her axes in training. He threw it. The following clatter showed that it missed the target. Samyal grimaced and took a second axe, throwing it again, concentrating hard. This time it did hit the Katniss cut-out, but only caught it in the shoulder. He took a deep breath and got his third axe and prepared to throw it, he took a deep breath, and threw it with his feeble strength. It sailed through the air like a bird, it was a perfect throw. But again, the sound of the clatter showed him that he had missed. Samyal felt like crying. He _was_ useless.

* * *

"Magenta Roxenne. District eleven." The dark skinned girl said, before she picked up the silver claymore from the weapon stand in front of her.

She had been waiting for this for a while. Being the daughter of the mayor in a district did have its advantages. She had access to some minor training facilities in one of the wings of the house, though it was only very minor, it was a lot more than most of the other tributes would get. She had always been somewhat violent, but getting reaped, her anger increased. She had rippling muscles across her torso and her arms were muscled as much as some of the boys that were in the games. She swung the claymore at the Katniss mannequins mercilessly and cleaved them in half, striking some of them so hard her sword actually became sheathed inside them. When she was really getting into the destruction of the models, she heard the head gamemaker shout.

"Enough!"

She felt like cursing at him, but she knew that that wouldn't help, it didn't stop her calling him a bitch though. Which would probably imprint in her score, not that she really cared. She was practically royalty.

* * *

He took up the wicked looking scimitar that was on the weapon stand, before he leaped into the sea of Katniss mannequins, scything great gashes through them, plastic limbs flying up into the air with every swing of his blade. He was relishing the violence that he had, despite being a usually docile boy, he couldn't help but see the joy in the violence. He had never even been in so much as a fight, but here he was, relishing the destruction of mannequins shaped like Katniss Everdeen.

"Enough!" Tobius shouted at him, eager to actually take the name of the boy, despite knowing it already.

It was the first time on record that someone hadn't introduced themselves to the gamemakers. The boy glanced up at them, before he moved to return his sword to the stand, and walked away.

"Excuse me." Tobius said firmly to the boy, glancing over at him. "Name."  
"Ty Goodwin. District eleven."

* * *

"Primrose Everdeen. District thirteen." Primrose said boldly, her calm exterior blown to pieces when she saw the mannequins with her sisters face on.

"Nathan Beddington. District thirteen." Nathan said coldly, already feeling the anger that was building inside Prim.

They had both expected the gamemakers to separate them, and correct them as well, but they did not, simply looked at the two rebellious tributes with their cold eyes, although Primrose knew, just as much as they did, that they were going to give her, maybe her district partner as well, a score of twelve. It was painfully obvious. Prim and Nathan had been planning her session for about five minutes. A cold look glazed over the eyes of the two tributes as they thought about all the crimes that the capitol had done to them. They looked up at the gamemakers, before they simultaneously held their middle fingers up, and said, a little bit too loud, in a voice filled with anger.

"Cunts."

They then both left the room, the anger they felt diffusing in the air around them as the deputy gamemaker approached Tobius.

"What do you do with a pair of birds who refuse to sing?" Tobius said quietly.

"Kill them." The deputy returned.

"Oh good. That is what the games are for."


	20. Reactions

**Please don't be annoyed if a tribute gets a different score to what you hoped, **

**Just go with it.**

**A poll on my profile page is crucial to the next chapter.**

**Get polling :P**

**Please Review.**

**xxx**

**Re-posting this chapter because of a bad mistake someone pointed out**

* * *

Chapter 19 Reactions.

"…And we are now coming live with the tribute scores. I know that everybody is excited for this and I think we can all count on this to show all the viewers at home what has been going on during the week, so without further ado. Let's begin." Caesar Flickerman said happily, before he span around on his chair and looked towards the screen, which was ready to reveal the scores of each of the twenty four tributes.

_District one:_

_Topaz Colton. 10_

_Garnett Hayes. 10_

_District two:_

_Liana Keaten. 10_

_Lucien Claws. 9_

_District 3:_

_Rayleigh Caliper. 8_

_Adym Olivers. 3_

_District 4:_

_Rhine Summers. 10_

_Ceres Sometimes. 8_

_District 5:_

_Orchid Whisheart. 5_

_Mychal Kane: 2_

_District 6:_

_Enna Emerald. 6_

_Vayne Harglade. 8_

_District 7:_

_Alisha Rosa. 10_

_Ray Nightheart. 6_

_District 8:_

_Franaelle Glassweaver. 5_

_Peterson Loomer. 6_

_District 9:_

_Erika Cinsero. 9_

_Levyir Pulse. 10_

_District 10:_

_Jodi Archer. 9_

_Samyal Hames. 3_

_District 11:_

_Magenta Roxenne. 9_

_Ty Goodwin. 8_

_District 12:_

_Primrose Everdeen. 12_

_Nathan Beddington. 4_

* * *

Prim snorted loudly, which caused her company of Peterson, Fran, Samyal and Jodi to look at her in confusion.

"What did you do?" Jodi asked curiously, looking at the young girl who had just scored the highest possible result.

"I called him a cunt." Primrose returned, running her hand through her light blonde hair that was loose and hanging over her shoulders.

"What's a cunt?" Samyal asked innocently, which lead Jodi making up some sort of false explanation of what it was to the boy who hadn't got to his sexual education lessons yet.

Peterson sighed and slumped back in his seat, ignoring the chattering of Jodi and Samyal, blocking out the angst filled ranting of Primrose. Fran gently put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him, fully aware of what he was feeling at that moment.

"Peter… You should just tell him how you feel…" She said softly, quiet enough so that the other people wouldn't hear.

"No point. We have one day left. Then we are in the arena that sounds like hell and we need to kill each other. He doesn't need to know how I feel."

"He might feel the same way…"

"If he did he would be here wouldn't he?"

"He could be playing hard to get?"

"No. He's not the type. He is probably with someone else. Garnett I expect."

"Stop being so defeatist about it. If you really love him then go and tell him that!"

"Why? To distract him through the games so he can't focus and dies right away. No. He doesn't need to know. I'll probably be dead soon anyway."

"Come on! You won't be dead. We have a good alliance! There are five of us. We can stick together and we'll be okay."

"No. There are seven careers. Seven! They all know how to use weapons and they all got nines and tens for their scores. We got a range from three to twelve."

"Please…" Fran sobbed, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Don't give up… You are the oldest one… You may not think it… But we all look to you as the leader… If you give up… Then we're done for. I know I'm probably going to die… But I just want to know that we never gave up."

Peterson looked at the girl with sympathy and put his arm around her. "I'm sorry. It'll be alright."

"Promise me something."

"Anything."

"If I'm going to die… If it is going to hurt. I want you to kill me instead. Do it quick… I don't want to have the pain…"

"I…"

"Please…"

"I promise."

* * *

Topaz laughed and threw her head back onto Garnett's shoulder, much to the envy of Ceres. Lucien was also annoyed, but that was because he had a gay person get a higher score than him. Two gay people actually. He hated the fought of being upstaged as it was, but to be beaten by a queer was unthinkable. An ugly scowl settled on his face as he sunk back to the reality that there were only four Careers in his little alliance. Rhine had never wanted to join, and Liana had been convinced by Levyir that they had been using her. Which they hadn't. Lucien actually quite liked Liana, but his charisma had nothing on Levyir.

"So guys. Who do we target at the bloodbath?" Topaz said jollily, sitting up, unintentionally giving Ceres a brilliant view of her cleavage.

"Mychal did shit. We can kill him first. The little ones. Orchid, Samyal. Get Nathan and Franaelle. Then take down some of the threats like Rhine, Alisha, Magenta, Levyir…"

"Levyir is mine." Garnett said quickly, not even looking up to make eye contact with Lucien.

"No… He is nobody's. Whoever gets to him first can have him."

"No. He is mine." Garnett returned roughly, giving Lucien the coldest stare that he had ever given in his life.

"I know you want to rape him. But he is dangerous. He got higher than me and Ceres."

"Maybe it is just you who isn't dangerous. Plus, we need him. If we get him with us then we get Liana too."

"You think I'm…"  
"Come on guys! Chill… We can kill each other later, let's just relax for now." Ceres said quickly, eager to stop the conflict from arising.

"You are so protective over him. Even though you have had two kisses with him and they were a day ago. It's so cute!" Topaz whispered into Garnett's ear giggling all the while.

"Yeah and that is all your fault." He returned, pretending to be annoyed, when he was really just reminiscing about the kiss.

"Not just my fault, was Liana too. She did the matchmaking, I just distracted the Lesbian."

* * *

"High five for ten out of twelve!" Liana said happily moving to knock the glass of fizzy liquid she had taken a liking to with a glass that Levyir was holding, also smiling.

"I still don't understand why you are leaving the careers." Enobaria said sulkily, annoyed at how her female tribute had brushed off the responsibility of being a career just like that.

"Well you see Ma'am. The leader of the careers fancies me. So he will make sure that we survive, but that also makes us less of a target for the other tributes."

"You are shrewd boy. Just like your Grandmother."

"You knew her?"

"Of course I did. I ate lunch with the woman when she was here being a mentor and I have to say she is…"  
"Really annoying?"

"Yes…"

"Try living with her. I half want to die in the games so that I don't need to go home to her going through everything I did and then criticizing it saying what she would have done."

"She is skilled though, I'll give her that."

"Yeah. She gave me crossbow training when I was younger. God if I held the crossbow a centimetre away from where I could she went mad at me."

"I can imagine."

The three people sat in silence for a few moments, before Enobaria excused herself to go and do something else, not revealing what it was, which left the two tributes to talk about tactics.

"Do you think that people might go for us because we both got ten?" Levyir asked Liana, who had a better knowledge about the games than he did.

"I think we will be okay. We just need to watch out for Magenta, Rhine and Alisha. They are all strong, and they seem to be going solo as well, which makes it all a little more difficult to hear them coming."  
"Yeah. I'm glad I'm not in a big group, but I don't know if I could cope with being alone."  
"I know… You would just feel so nervous all of the time… Not having anybody to watch your own back…"

"Can you believe that we only have one day left…? It doesn't feel real…"

"Oh it feels real enough to me."

* * *

Ray smiled and gave Alisha a small round of applause, whilst Vanye congratulated her with a pat on the back. Alisha herself couldn't have cared less, right now the only thing going through her mind was the deep cut on Vanye's wrist that had been covered in some odd gel. He was certainly mad, but she kept a hold of his hand, mainly so that he wouldn't try to kill himself again, and he would keep in the alliance. She didn't need him as such, but she knew that Ray was happy with the company, and she knew that Ray needed another boy there with him in the game. He was just reaching puberty, which greatly amused Alisha. She was enjoying the awkward questions he would ask her about why he had hair growing in places that were usually smooth. It was just the juvenile humour that she had been denied as a child that made her find it so amusing. Then her thoughts would drift back to Sunny. She knew he had done everything in his power to keep her from the games, and was probably doing everything he could to help her win the games, she half expected to be drawn out any day now. But she knew that that was unlikely. After all, the rules of the games were absolute. And nothing about them would be changing anytime soon.


	21. The last night

**Okay... The poll was fairly uneventful... I got three votes... **

**But i thought that it was more important to get the story going ever onward, so i just use the highest of the two tributes voted for. **

**So... Everyone has a mention in the chapter... **

**But more importantly. **

**Bloodbath is the next chapter.**

**Things are going to start spicing up!**

**Please review. **

***Just a bloodbath announcement.**

**Please don't stop reading the story if your favorite tribute dies. **

**I only had three bloodbath tributes. And i needed eight.**

**People will die. **

**But hopefully your favorite will survive to die another chapter.**

**May the odds be ever in your favor.**

**XD**

**xxx**

* * *

Chapter 20. The last night

The light made Levyir's eyes hurt, but he tried to ignore it, strutting onto the stage with a smile on his face, hearing the cheer from the crowd go up.

"I think we should have asked for a hot welcome for this young man because he is certainly giving us the heat right now." Caesar said, gesturing for the blonde to sit down in the chair next to him.

Caesar was referring to Levyir's outfit, which was very minimal as an outfit. It was simply a golden jacket that glimmered all over, with nothing underneath it, with a pair of black trousers and his long leather boots. Levyir looked around the huge theatre, packed full to bursting point. There were thousands of people in there, all with brightly coloured hair in total contrast to their brightly coloured outfits.

"So Levyir."  
"Please. Call me Lev."

"Okay." Caesar said, smiling at Levyir. "Let's get straight on with the interview then… Your skills, if you could enlighten us to them? Because, Lev, we don't know much about you. And considering you did get a ten. We want to know."

"Well Caesar, other than my obvious, raw sexual magnetism." He paused as a few cheers from the audience sounded out, before he continued. "I simply flashed the gamemakers, and they quoted inches." He said, before laughing politely and continuing. "I'm pretty mean with a crossbow. I have a particularly good aim, as you will likely see in the upcoming games, and I think I must have really impressed them."

"Of course young man of course. Now. It seems that your Grandmother was in the seventh game. And she was the victor. Has she told you any tales about it?"

"Really, the main thing she has said about it was that it made her a stronger person, and she made a few new friends. Of course she killed them but that isn't the point."  
"Of course, of course. Now. How has everything been going in the training centre. Anything you can tell us because the other tributes have been a little vague about it all. Do you mind enlightening us with some gossip from the tributes?"

"Well I could write volumes on what I know. But if I tell you fine people, you can write it down for me. But I don't know" He said, looking out into the audience. "Do you want me to?"

The following cheer from the crowd told Levyir he had just got a few sponsors, as he thought about anything and everything that he could tell them.

"In numerical order. Topaz has been acting like the common teenage girl of the tributes, gossiping and trying to set people up, as well as telling someone she was a lesbian, I have yet to discover whether that is true or not. Garnett seems to be utterly and hopelessly infatuated with…" He said cheekily, before shooting a glance at a camera, knowing the boy in question was probably looking at the camera in horror right now. "Himself."

An overwhelming surge of laughter went up from the audience as they began cheering again, urging Levyir to continue with the gossip.

"Liana has discovered that people have been underestimating her, and showed them all up when she scored a ten yesterday night. Lucien is rather upset that he didn't get the highest tribute score there was, I also think that he and Garnett have a little bit of friction when it comes to who is going to be leading their alliance. I also think he is having some major difficulty removing his head from his arse. Rayleigh was the only person to emerge unscathed from a particularly eventful truth or dare session on the first night, probably because she was so boring. Adym has made no friends, and has managed to make almost everybody want to punch him in the face. Rhine has been a little bit quiet, other than when she had been dared to lick her district partner's chest in the truth or dare session that happened, which I think she secretly enjoyed. Ceres has developed some form of lust towards almost every female tribute, and actually shared a rather heated kiss with Vayne at one point. Orchid is so adorable and I taught her a little bit about using a crossbow, now she is ferocious with it. Mychal hasn't really been socialising, but he has been eavesdropping on people's conversations a fair bit, I find that if I change the conversation to barley whenever he starts listening he goes away quite quickly. Enna has just been quite giggly about things, seems to be quite close to Rayleigh, but again, she isn't quite on my wavelength, she is far too shy. Vayne is certainly an odd character, he came out of his private session covered in blood, and apparently he is a prostitute. Alisha has been quite cold and distant throughout the process, and during our truth or dare session she ended up wearing her underwear and had the honour of being in my boots. I must say she has a lovely little birthmark above her left hip. I haven't really seen much of Ray throughout the process, but I'm sure he is a lovely person." Heavy sarcasm filled his voice for the last part. "Fran is a lovely little girl and she is a brilliant conversationalist, but the biggest attention seeker I have ever known. Peterson and I have had a few little run in's… We had a rather long kiss during truth or dare, and he also was dared to sleep in my bed naked. He is pretty gifted downstairs… But he really needs to sort himself out there… It is like a hunger games arena made from hair. Erika, she is a little bit two faced, she laughs at things, then pretends she didn't and then she goes all sulky and storms off. She might be on the rag… And if she isn't then I dread to think how bad she gets when she is. Me… Beautiful, talented, sexual, charismatic, is there anything that the fine people of the capitol would enjoy any more than this? Jodi is a great girl, a really good friend, but there is a slight conspiracy theory about her sexuality… On the second day she had a little bit of an outburst. Samyal is a sweet little thing, but he doesn't really do much… He cry's a little too much too. Magenta is just the stereotype Ghetto girl." Ghetto carrying a definition of being low-class and violent throughout district nine. "By that I mean a little violent. She had a bit of a fight attempt with Jodi, called her a bitch. I have to honestly say… I have literally never seen Ty. He hasn't made himself seen at all. It was a bit awkward when I couldn't remember him at lunch once. Then Primrose…" Levyir made sure he kept his speech negative now, to inspire some of the Everdeen haters in the crowd. "…She just looks like the sweetest little girl there can be. But really she is just as Ghetto as Magenta. I heard she called someone a… C-U-N-T. And then Nathan… He is pretty quiet, doesn't do much he has just been blundering around a little bit not really seeming very headstrong. If you know what I mean."

A ludicrous amount of cheers and rounds of applause rode throughout the duration of his speech, which was concluded with a standing ovation from the crowd. Levyir smiled to himself. He had created a significant gash in all of the other tributes bar himself, Liana and Orchid, but the latter was hardly a threat. He had a little advantage now. He waited for the applause to subside before Caesar lead the interview off in a different direction  
"Well we are beginning to run out of time now but I will ask you a few more questions if that is okay?"  
"Yes of course."

"Okay one question that I know fans have been dying to know. Are you a lady's man? Or a man's man?"

Levyir blushed, for the first time in a while. He had just been asked on live television about his sexuality, which he was sure his family had no idea about. His comment about Peterson had also stressed on the dares side of things. He thought about his answer. Lying didn't really help him, if Levyir said he was strait, he would just get compared to some of the hunger games hunks, a calendar that probably contained pictures of Finnick Odair on every page. If he told the truth, he was in his own liege, he could start his own calendar of the Hunger games gay's, although someone would probably slip a Finnick shot in it. But really the only real thing swaying his decision, he wasn't a liar.

"Man's man."

To Lev's relief a large cheer echoed through the crowd again, with a clapping Caesar who was still smiling, and starting to scare him now.

"I think we have time for a one more question don't you?"

"I'm sure we can squeeze some in."

"Well as you are a Man's man…"  
"Just use gay. It is much easier."

Caesar chuckled, before continuing. "As you are gay. Is there any male tributes that you have your eyes on? Is there something in the games that might happen? You mentioned there was a moment between Peterson and yourself"  
"Well I don't know. I'm not one to rule things out. Peterson might be looking for some action, he really didn't stop asking me for sex when we were in the same bed. But word gets around and it seems as though I have quite a fan club. Peterson, Garnett, Jodi at one point and Alisha told me that Vayne told her in secret that he fancied me." Realistically Alisha told him no such thing, but Liana had overheard Alisha mention it to Ray, and then told Lev, who used it to smash her allegiance with him, and destroy her sponsors. Like he had done to the others.

"Well I think our time is up now. Thank you for the interview, and let's hear it for Levyir Pulse!" He shouted, sending the crowd into an uproar as Levyir blew a kiss at the nearest camera, before bowing and walking off stage, heart racing, knowing he had about ten hours before that dreaded countdown.


	22. Bloodbath

**Is it wrong i enjoyed writing this?**

**A quick note. Not every tribute will get the death you may want for them, because things need to be varied. **

**Only thing i can promise is that they will get more horrifying as they go along. **

**And also, please please please leave a review. **

**Partially because i really want to know how people like my writing,**

**But also because i really want to know how many people read it.**

**Thank you. **

**xxx**

***Just a little note to some of my keen reviewers. **

**I already know who is going to die. And when they die. And how they die. And where they die. **

**So don't worry about suggesting deaths. **

**I have had some planned out since before i wrote chapter one.**

**xxx**

* * *

Chapter 21. Bloodbath

Vayne glanced around the second his eyes had adjusted to the light. He couldn't believe what he saw. A beautiful paradise. The landscape looked like something he could only imagine in his wildest dreams, a towering mountain adorned with a pure white peak that stood firmly above his position on his podium, which was in a small dip in the landscape. He glanced at the cornucopia, It was just up a small rise from his position, on slightly higher ground, it looked as if the tributes were in some form of ditch, then he looked at the floor separating the tributes from the cornucopia, the floor of the small ditch. Blood. A lake of blood almost. Probably knee deep on him, and enough to make him feel a little queasy, and to make it a little harder to run through, there were corpses floating in it like bits of gristly meat in an unwanted stew. He suddenly felt lucky to be his age; poor Orchid and Samyal would have it up to their waist, even some of the older ones like Ray, maybe even Erika. The height gave him a slight advantage, but he would still be running through blood. He then glanced at the sides of the ditch, looking to see a quicker way out. There wasn't one. The sides of the ditch were almost vertical, and blood soaked. Any tribute who attempted to climb their way out would probably just slip on the bloody rocks, and even if they didn't, they would probably be killed before they could escape anyway. They were being forced into the bloodbath. Vayne scowled before a voice echoed around them.

"Welcome tributes. Just some last minute advice I would like to give you. Firstly, watch out for other tributes. Secondly, watch out for mutations. Thirdly, watch out for yourselves. And last, but not least. May the odds be ever in your favour."

Although he didn't have any idea about it, Vayne was sure that the countdown had started. He quickly looked around at the other tributes. Whilst he was almost excited about the prospect of swimming through blood, though he would have preferred it to be warm, most of the other tributes looked ready to vomit. Orchid had tears streaming her face, as did Samyal, who were on either side of him. Alisha looked determined, but she was notably more pale than usual. Garnett looked undeterred, as did Rhine, both of them standing in a sprinting position. Levyir was the next one to catch his eye. They were all wearing the simple white trousers and t-shirt, which would no doubt be stained by the blood, and all had the bloody red, thin, hooded jacket that fell down to the thighs, although he was wearing the large leather boots that he seemed attached too, which Vayne guessed must have been his tribute token, he defiantly looked the best in it. The shirt was tight on everyone, but Lev must have had the smallest one out of all the older teens, and it clung perfectly to his slender form. Then Vayne remembered that although the boy may be sexy, he was also a manipulative scumbag who had used his interview to literally destroy everybody's sponsors. Vayne wouldn't want to kill him. But defiantly wouldn't leave without destroying the confidence that this boy had. Rape seemed the best way. He could track the little slut down and destroy him, mentally and physically, then let him get picked off by somebody else. Vayne smiled coldly as the countdown begun.

_Five_

_Four_

_Three_

_Two_

_One_

* * *

The claxon sounded and Vayne leaped from his podium, with a heavy splash, before he began to wade strongly through the blood, where some of the other tributes were struggling. The blood was hardly pleasant, even for him. It was freezing cold. The occasional limb or hand that he waded into had little effect on Vayne, though he knew that the other tributes would be struggling to cope with this. He saw Alisha approach dangerously close to him, who was wading rather fast, catching up quickly. With an evil smirk Vayne fished an arm out of the bloody soup and threw it at her, laughing a little when it hit her squarely in the face and she fell backwards into the mush of blood and guts. Vayne was the first to reach the end of the blood ditch, when he realised that that was not the only challenge that the tributes had. The hill had a gradual incline, but it was not grass, it was slicked down plastic, shimmering with a foul glint. Oil. He could recognise the smell from anywhere. That and the smell of Lubricant reminded him of home. District six stunk of oil. He attempted to clamber up it, but only got a few paces up before he slid back down into the mush at the bottom. It was as if it was some part of some sick, twisted game show. He laughed when he remembered that it was. He re-attempted his climb, getting a little bit further before sliding back down into the mush. He realised how ridiculous all of the tributes must have looked right now, and with every climb attempt the slope got even more slippery. Roughly half of the tributes were at the slope now, nobody getting any further than anybody else, when all of a sudden, the slope snapped up into a set of stairs, which Vayne didn't even question, he just crawled up on all fours, not making the mistake some of the tributes made which sent them slipping on the greased steps. He reached the top first, and began moving towards the cornucopia, which was still a good hundred metres away. Would anybody have the strength to fight at the cornucopia? He stated to jog towards it, when he heard a heavy thud just to his left, he glanced at it for a second, taking in the sight. Nathan was face down on the floor, with Magenta on his back, his head in her hands. A spin of her arms and a sickening crack later, Nathan flopped to the floor, then a cannon sounded out. It was an utterly horrific noise, loud and heavy, as merciless as the act it indicated. Vayne then saw Magenta's evil gaze settle on him, and he found a burst of strength inside him, running with all his worth towards the cluster of food, weapons and other useful supplies that were scattered on the ground around the shining gold shape.

* * *

Vayne grabbed himself a backpack from the back of the cluster, near the mouth of the cornucopia, he figured the deeper he went the better stuff he would find, he hoped he was right. He turned around to take a glance at the carnage, and work out the best avenue of escape, and he saw something even someone as cold hearted as him would struggle to cope with. Samyal was bent down reaching for a backpack that was on the floor, a blood drenched teddy bear in his belt. It just happened that a rather long, slender blade was next to the bag Samyal was reaching for. And it just happened that Ceres had his fingers around the handle of that particular blade. Samyal didn't have a chance. It all slowed down to Vayne, the seemingly only witness to this next death, as Ceres didn't even realise he was about to kill a twelve year old boy. The sword swung up strongly, cutting through the air with impeccable speed. It caught Samyal's neck and cut clean through, the blood sprayed out from the strike of the deadly sharp blade. A cannon sounded as the corpse of the twelve year old fell down to the ground, his head barely attached to his body. Ceres then glanced over, his face flooding with utter shock and he actually looked as if he would cry. Vayne snapped to his senses and looked over at an open area of ground, which he darted for, giving one final scan of the carnage. Surprisingly only the original two had been killed, only two casualty's. He then caught the sight of Levyir in the distance, running in the direction that the tributes had all started in, but avoiding the ditch and going around it, to what looked like a huge lake. He was a gutless prick after all, he was more than happy to go and ridicule every other tribute in the comfort of society, but he didn't even have the spine to get a bag. Vayne then saw a girl run up next to him, Liana. She handed him a bag, and the two of them took off faster than before. Not only did Levyir not risk the bloodbath himself, he got a girl to get his stuff for him. Though Vayne noted he didn't have his crossbow. That was a bonus. Suddenly he noticed an utterly sickening sight in front of him, in the very centre of the carnage. The oldest tribute, Garnett, with a horrible looking mace, and the youngest tribute, Orchid with nothing but a beautiful flower in her hand. It was worse than Samyal's death. He hadn't seen it coming, and it had been an accident. This was purposeful, and she knew it was about to happen. The mace was swung at her and it caught her in the chest, the impact of the blow sent her flying. She landed a few metres away from Garnett and to Vayne's utter horror, no cannon sounded. She was still alive. Garnett then stalked towards her slowly, holding the mace above his head with both hands, before bringing it down strongly on the girl. The horrifying crunch was only drowned out by the sound of the following cannon. A yell of rage sounded far too close to Vayne as he turned, to meet a deep, hate ridden gaze from Lucien. A sword swung itself through Vayne's stomach and he felt the shock from the blow, stumbling backwards, falling onto the floor. Lucien made a step towards him but was stopped as a ferocious Magenta crashed into him from the side, which sent the two of them sprawling to the ground.

* * *

From the ground it was all in a different perspective. Or maybe that was the cold that was radiating through his gut. Blissful cold. It was both excruciating pain, and unbearable pleasure, two extremes that Vayne found utterly indistinguishable. He took a glance to the side, where Ty was making a run for it, with a sword and backpack in his hands. He suddenly stopped, and a cannon sounded, sending its hollow ring through the air. He slumped to the ground and revealed Erika, who had just hit him right in the temple, standing just at the treeline, where she disappeared quickly. He also saw a cluster of tributes, Peterson most noticeably, running towards the forest as well. A feminine yowl of fury rang through the air as a spear shot across the space of the cornucopia, followed by a cannon. He couldn't quite make out who it was, but the wisp of ginger hair he saw signalled that it was Adym. Him Vayne did not feel sorry for. The bloodbath had more or less cleared now, and Garnett stood in the centre looking to the left of Vayne, where sounds of the scuffle from Magenta and Lucien were coming from, most notably the word bitch. Suddnenly Garnett stopped dead, and a cannon sounded. Vayne smiled gleefully. Had Erika pulled a shot on him too? A confident exclamation from his left indicated to Vayne that that was not the case. He moved his head over and glanced at the scuffle, and saw Lucien unsheathe his sword from the cavity of Magenta's chest. Another cannon then sounded and the four careers gathered together and took a scan around. Vayne's body then chose this moment to remove some blood from his system with a loud cough, which sent blood over his face. The four careers then walked over with evil grins on their faces. They were going to kill him. Vayne took one last chance to play on any guilt the monsters may have had.

"Feeling bad about killing that little boy?" He said to Ceres, who immediately grimaced, leading to Topaz giving him a friendly punch.

Vayne then turned his gaze to Garnett. "Your brother was the ugliest tribute I have ever seen." These simple words tightened the grip Garnett was holding his mace in, although Vayne hadn't finished yet. "But Lev is the most beautiful." Garnett's face softened as Vayne's eyes beaded with tears, thinking about how the last thoughts he had about the boy were that he was a coward. "Take good care of him." Vayne uttered quietly, as Lucien readied his sword to finish Vayne.

"I-I will…" Garnett replied softly, giving the boy a slight nod, as Lucien's sword pierced his heart.

Vayne felt himself fall into the ultimate pit of cold, as the lights of the world faded, his last ever sight, being the man who took the boy Vayne loved. Before darkness took him. And darkness remained.

* * *

**I will shamelessly admit that i cried writing the ending. **

**And OMG mystery dead tribute.**

**xxx**

**Please remember to review. **

**xxx**


	23. Questioning beliefs

**Thank you for all the reviews. **

**xxx**

**I do enjoy a cliffhanger.**

**xxx**

* * *

Chapter 22. Questioning beliefs

Peterson kept running. Of course he did. He had seen some things in the bloodbath that had turned his blood to ice, and he didn't want to rest until he was far away from all of the carnage he had witnessed. He knew his followers felt the same. Could he call them followers? They were all following him, so he guessed that he could. The tropical forest was alien to him, so he struggled to navigate through it, this was one advantage that the tributes from district seven had. They knew how to navigate through forests. Peterson was at least trying his best, but he still could have been taking the group back towards the careers at any point. After running for approximately half an hour some of the group were starting to feel the burn, after all the two fifthteen year olds could hardly keep up the stronger, fitter, older tributes that were leading them.

"Peterson can we stop for a moment please?" Primrose panted, leaning on to a tree for some support to her tired legs.

"The careers could ambush us. We shouldn't stop running." Peterson said boldly, yet the temptation to rest was tiring.

"If they catch up to us and we are exhausted already we won't have much of a chance." Jodi admitted, stopping herself, which lead Fran to also stop.

"I guess so. But can someone climb that tree to see if they are coming?"  
"No point Peterson, the undergrowth is was too thick. As long as we stay quiet we should be okay. I have a knife, so does Jodi."

"Prim I don't think two knifes will kill four careers."

"Have you even looked in your pack yet?" Prim returned to Peterson, already a little irritated by his lax nature of the task.

Peterson didn't answer the question; he simply slung his pack from his back, and began rooting through the bag, pulling out every piece of equipment he found. The first item he produced was a coiled up piece of rope, which he put carefully to the side. He then produced a few rolled up coils of snare, glimmering in the faint sunlight of the slowly ending day. The bag was now feeling uncomfortably light, and he knew that there was not much left inside it. He pulled out a small drink container and immediately unscrewed the lid and brought it to his parched lips. Empty. Of course it was empty. He shouldn't have expected something so easy from the capitol. He then reached in, the bag was almost empty now, but there was a small box of matches.

"Least we can light a fire." He breathed softly, trying to remain optimistic about the feeble supplies he found in his bag.

Seconds later Prim snatched the matches up in her hand and tossed them into the undergrowth to the left of the group. The shocked cries from the other tributes then were silenced with Prim's reasoning behind it.

"So we don't get tempted. Could be a big mistake."

"I agree." Jodi added quickly, glancing at the younger girl, who clearly had the same aptitude of survival that her sister did.

"Come on. Let's keep going. We should find somewhere safer to sleep." Peterson said quickly, trying not to think about how much he could regret this alliance.

* * *

"Well this is new." Levyir muttered softly taking a handful of the golden grains of sand from the floor and letting them sift through his fingers.

He and Liana were stood at the edge of a vast stretch of land that was filled with these odd grains of sand. Then a vast expanse of water continued from the mass of gold and lead out as far as the eye could see.

"What are they?" Levyir asked Liana softly.

"It is sand you total moron." She returned, in utter disbelief that the boy didn't know what it was.

"Barley not minerals I'm afraid." Levyir chuckled in response, moving to approach the water at the edge of the sand. "At least we have something to drink."

He opened his bag and took out a flask which he dipped into the water, filling it to the brim, where he lifted it to his mouth and took a deep mouthful of the water, swallowing it instantly. Liana took a quick scan around to ensure that they were alone, before she also approached the water. She was about to take a sip from her own, recently filled, flask when she heard frantic coughing from next to her. Turning, quick as a cat, she saw Levyir on his hands and knees, coughing violently, his body writhing in pain.

"Lev!" She screamed, eyes wide with shock, scrambling over to the boy who was now violently retching.

She almost screamed as he vomited into the sand, heavily, totally emptying his gut. Liana sighed with relief and gently crawled over to rub the boys back as he continued spewing the seawater from his stomach. Ceres had said something about seawater on the first day in training, and how drinking it made you vomit. She didn't take this in for long as firstly, she didn't expect to have seawater in the arena, and secondly, because Ceres had one of those voices that went on and on and made her just not listen to anything he said, just nod along to him.

"It's okay." She cooed softly rubbing the boys back as he gave one last retch, that brought up nothing. "Just the seawater in your system."

He coughed for a few more minutes, and then sat up and wiped the tears from his eyes, brought on by the discomfort of the situation. He then started to giggle.

"Could this be any worse?" He chuckled. "I just threw up, and we have no water to drink, and it is almost night time."

"At least we have clothes on." Liana said softly, trying to lighten the mood.

"You mean we aren't naked? Thank Panem, some good news at last."

* * *

Alisha tumbled through the undergrowth, Ray close behind her, the two of them heading towards the mountain that towered up in the distance. They both agreed that it would be a good place to set up a camp, being sheltered and dry. Who knows how long it would take until the gamemakers decided to make it rain. Alisha knew what she was doing. She had learnt from the edible plant station that there was a fruit that had some sleep inducing chemicals in it, and she had a plan to find some, and use it to contaminate some of the water supply's across the island, but her first priority was getting herself, and Ray, to safety. The ground they were traveling through was fairly rugged now, and Ray kept slowing progress, he was constantly emptying stones from his boots. They were durable, but not perfect. It made her, and almost every other tribute, jealous of Levyir, who had taken a practical tribute token, rather than the sentimental crap that everybody else had. Alisha gingerly fingered the wedding ring of her dead father that was hanging around her neck on a thin chain. Why didn't she take a practical item? She could have taken something better, a blanket or maybe a pillow. Something to help keep her warm. Not something that could catch on a tree and throttle her. She cursed loudly, which lead to another apology from Ray, when she turned around, he was emptying another stone from his shoe. Alisha grunted with distain and continued walking, trudging up the rocky slope.

"Alisha?" Ray asked softly, stopping for a moment to sit down on a rock and catch his breath.

"What?" She said impatiently, not too keen on stopping with the careers only a few hours behind her.

"Are you worried? About Vayne?"

Alisha cursed silently, she had actually forgotten about the boy, at least pissed off at him from the arm he had thrown at her. "I'm sure he is fine. He was the first at the cornucopia."

"I hope so." Ray said softly, slumping to his feet, trudging grudgingly towards the mountain, close behind Alisha, not really looking where he was going.

Alisha's sudden stop came as a surprise to Ray, who walked straight into her, causing the two of them to curse.

"Watch where you're going." She snapped at him, before glancing back at what made her stop.

"Well I'm sorry but I didn't expect you to just suddenly stop." Ray mumbled back, he already knew that he was simply the bitch of this alliance.

"I think there is a cave over there you know?" Alisha said softly, turning to the boy.

"Really? Let's check it out!" He yapped excitedly, before the two of them waltzed off towards the cave.

* * *

Erika was actually quite happy. One thing about the games that worried her was if she would be able to kill or not, and as it turned out, she could. Her kill on Ty had been rather easy really, she was far enough away from him to avoid watching the lights leave his eyes, and that was the trick of it really. Not to mention the fact she had never actually spoken to him. That had been a quick kill. He wasn't looking at her; he was running from the careers. It would not be that easy for her next time. But that didn't bother her so much. Right now, everything was quite easy. Apart from the huge ravine she had come across about an hour before. It was just too long for a branch, and she couldn't see the bottom of it, which ruled out any chance of climbing down it. She just continued walking along it, figuring that it would end at some point. It didn't. But she did find a rather conspicuous looking bridge, its metal and plastic structure sticking out like a sore thumb in the forest. But Erika was never one to question her blessings, so she set off across the suspicious construct.

* * *

**And the mysterious cannon victim still isn't named!**


	24. Slow and steady

**Thank you for the reviews people. **

**:)**

**I read every one and then get very happy. **

**Reviews feed my soul :P**

**Please review. **

**xxx**

* * *

Chapter 23. Slow and steady

Rayleigh slouched against a nearby tree, Enna falling to the ground quickly, both girls were tired from the original climb, but both were feeling utterly nauseous from the stench of blood on their clothing. Rayleigh was still trying to scrape the rotting flesh off of her outfit, whilst Enna was just trying to focus on breathing, and not thinking about the utter horror of the situation they were in.

"I think I'm taking my clothes off… The smell of blood makes me want to puke."

Enna looked at the younger girl and nodded quickly, finding some strength to sit herself up against a tree. The younger girl pulled off her blood drenched, and now muddy, t-shirt and trousers off and folded them carefully over a branch on the tree. The two girls sat in silence for a little bit, the air around them, a faint 'Lev' sounded through the forest at one point, but where it was from was impossible to tell, simply echoing through the jungle of this strange arena aimlessly. No cannon had sounded, so it did mean that the tribute in question was still alive. The two girls rested for a while, and night was drawing in, and with the night, a swarm of mosquitos arrived, pestering Enna for the blood sacturating her coat, whilst Rayleigh had her hanging clothes pestered, saving herself from the agonising annoyance from the hungry insects.

"Stupid bugs!" She squealed, pulling the coat off and using it to swipe away at the maddening swarm.

"Just ignore them and they will go away. That is what I do when my octopus gets crabs."

Enna pulled an odd face and glanced over at Rayleigh, who had just made the most bizarre comment that she had heard in her life. At first everything looked normal, but on a closer inspection, she noticed a fairly hefty boil on the side of her neck. Glancing up, Enna saw the source of it. A tracker jacker. A single tracker jacker drifting through the air where the mosquitoes were. Glancing up further, she noticed something that made her blood freeze. A hive. There was a hive in the tree above Rayleigh, and the bloody clothing on the branch not so far away must have enticed them to come down.

"Todd don't pee on me."

Enna couldn't help but chuckle at the girl, who was delusional, and gently walked over to her, sliding an arm around the girls waist to move her away from the hive.

"Look out! Caesar has a toothbrush." The delusional girl said, as Rayleigh helped her to her feet and moved her away from the hive. "Oh no it's just your mother."

Enna giggled a little bit as the delusional girl continued with her rant, saying total random things that had no relation to anything. Enna actually wondered what on earth Rayleigh could have been thinking to bring on such crazed mumblings.

"Benz put the celery down, what did it do to you."

Enna gently laid the girl down on the floor, letting her rest, hoping that the sting would wear away soon, when she got the fright of her life. Rayleigh began screaming at the top of her voice, thrashing about violently, only for a few moments, before she settled back down. The outburst only lasted for a few moments, but those few moments could not have been pourer timed, and Enna heard a shout, far too close for comfort.

"What was that?" It was a girls voice.

Enna immediately jumped into action, dragging Rayleigh into some of the thicker undergrowth, where she hopefully wouldn't be seen by any of the people if they wandered into the clearing they were in. Enna then turned and ran to where her clothes were hanging, ignoring the Tracker Jackers that were lurking around. She took up the clothes in her arms and made a move to run from the clearing, in vain. Her last visible sight was a spear launching into the tree trunk in front of her, before she totally blacked out.

* * *

"What was that?" Topaz asked the boys around her, in a tone that suggested they were withholding vital information from her.

"Sounded like a scream." Ceres returned, looking around him dumbly.

"Yeah I know that dipshit, but where did it come from?" She snapped in response.

"Over there I think." Lucien said confidently, stalking off into the undergrowth.

"Y'know guys I think that sounded like Rayleigh." Ceres said, not quite understanding the concept of the silence that the careers wanted to achieve.

"How do you know exactly?" Lucien spat at the boy.

"Ceres is familiar with girls screaming." Topaz whispered softly, giggling at her joke.

"Shush." Garnett hissed from the front of the group, where he had pushed past Ceres earlier. "Topaz, do you have a clean shot from here?"  
Topaz slipped into her darker mode and silently waded through the undergrowth, before peering out into the clearing, where the girl was looking around, trying to see a good way to run.

"Got her." The career breathed, before throwing her spear full power into the position the girl should have been.

"Nice one." Lucien said sarcastically moving out into the clearing, brandishing his sword.

"I still knocked her out cold." She muttered, walking towards the clearing and pulling her spear out of the wood.

"She knocked herself out." Lucien spat, producing a length of rope from his bag, before wrapping it around the girl's wrists pulling it into a taught knot.

"w-what are you doing?" Ceres asked shakily, recognising the beautiful girl.

"Just a nice, long, painful, death." Lucien breathed, before he struck the girl violently across the face, waking her from the bliss of unconsciousness.

Ceres turned away when the screams started, and he walked away from the group, imagining that he wasn't a part of the insanity that was taking place before him. Guilt from killing the young boy at the bloodbath was still gnawing at him, and despite all his experiences, he missed home. He missed his annoying mother. He missed his annoying father. He missed his annoying girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend. Then the screams of pain from Enna, the most beautiful girl in the arena, shattered his thoughts, and the giggles from Topaz, and Lucien's cold threats, promises, made his gut churn. He moved a little further from the others, and then caught a slight movement in the undergrowth, which he moved to inspect, in the off chance of finding a wild animal that could be eaten. He didn't. When he brushed apart some of the leaves, his eyes connected with a fear ridden gaze coming from Rayleigh, who had clearly been a witness to her friends elaborate torture. Tears streamed her usually pretty face and she shook her head slightly, lips whispering a silent plea to Ceres, so she would not end up like her friend. Ceres knew that he couldn't be that cold, and it would haunt him forever if he was. He gave the most feeble nod he could muster, before he slowly let the bushes fall back into place, concealing the form of the terrified girl. He then turned around, taking in the horror of the carnage that was before his eyes. Lucian had a knife in the gut of the poor girl, and was dragging it horizontally across, disembowelling her whilst she still lived, crimson flowing from her belly like water from a tap. It took all of Ceres' control not to vomit right there. Until he looked up at the girl's face. Were her right eye was being removed slowly by Topaz, who was cutting it out with the head of one of her spears. Garnett simply stood observing the situation, looking at the carnage as if it were a daily occurrence, like the baking of bread.

"STOP IT!" Ceres screamed, a volume which even downed out the whimpers of the poor, poor girl. "Leave her alone…" He sobbed, glancing at the shocked faces of other careers, seeing Garnett as his easiest ally here. "Would you stand by and let this happen to…"

Ceres need not finish his sentence before a ripple of emotion swam across his face, and he clearly felt some heavy guilt.

"She has a family watching this. Just stop…"

Topaz withdrew, after a glance from Garnett, and after Lucian regrettably huffed, and stood up, Garnett moved in to end her, as her body was broken beyond any repair.

"I'll do it." Ceres said quietly, moving onto the girl before Garnett could even get up. Ceres looked into the girls half mutilated face, and gently brushed a lone strand of hair behind her ear. "Still beautiful." He breathed softly.

He cupped her face softly in his hands and kissed her. It wasn't how Ceres would have ever imagined his first kiss with such a beauty, but it was. It was soft, delicate, and loving. Ceres had to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill from his eyes as he pulled away from the girl, who, gave the best attempt of a smile that she could muster with the pain she was in.

"Thank you…" She breathed slowly, tears of love, not pain, falling down her soft skin, mixing with the blood that was flowing freely out of the wound from her eye. "…My first kiss."

Ceres couldn't hold it back, and neither did he want to. He let a shameless tear fall. He held his slender blade up in his hands, and pressed it against her heart. The same blade that had killed a young boy earlier that very same day. He put his weight down on it. Her death was peaceful and quick, her smile didn't even leave her face.

"We should go." Ceres said softly, pulling the sword out of the girl, walking off into the forest.

The others blindly followed, not even Lucien had the heart to comment on his actions. Garnett gave him a Pat on the back and walked past him, leading the four onwards through the arena, the only person truly thanking him for his action, was Rayleigh, who was even now, closing the eyes of her loyal friend.

* * *

**i cried again writing this...**

**And the Mysterious death has still not been revealed! :O**

**But it is either Rhine or Mychal**

**Things could get nasty. **

**Please review. **

**xxx**


	25. A challenger appears

**Sorry if this chapter isn't so good... **

**I wasn't really feeling it...**

**Not to mention the bugs that keep flying in my room -..-**

**Review.**

**xxx**

* * *

Chapter 24. A challenger appears.

Slouching down against a rock was not as comfortable as they would have anticipated, but they did it regardless, rest being essential for them now. Running from the cornucopia all the way to a relatively open grassland with a large lake in the middle of it, had been a very long run. But had also been worth it. A source of water was an amazing find. It was warm too, almost like the water in very expensive spa that drew some of the richest people from the capitol too, something that they had seen advertised on capitol television. But that made them nervous about it; it had no reason to be there. But the water was pure enough. Two backpacks were unzipped, the sunset providing enough light to fully observe the contents of their own backpack, and the one taken from another tribute who had crossed their path. Two filled water bottles were placed on the side, a significant sip being taken from one of the bottles. A large coil of rope was taken from one of the two bags and placed carefully next to the bottles. Out of the same bag a pair of daggers was produced and placed blade down in the soil, for easy access in case another tribute stumbled onto the location. The bag was almost empty now, but there was a small kit that contained some wire and hooks, for fishing, but it could just as easily be used to make a rather deadly trap. The second bag was then taken, the item on the top being a tough chord whip, which went next to the daggers in the ground. A smile pushed at the features of the figure, as their fingers clashed with the material that could only belong to a sleeping bag. The bag was lifted up and out carefully, and placed aside, as the collection of supplies were neatly packed back into the bags, daggers and whip moving into one bag, the rope, fishing kit and water bottles taken and placed into the second bag as the tribute rolled out the sleeping bag and settled down into it, ready to watch the faces of the deceased flash across the sky.

* * *

Prim glanced around at the small clearing that the tributes had settled on for their camp for that night. It wasn't perfect. It was actually far from it. But Peterson was already readying a trap from some of the rope they had taken, to give them some minor protection. Prim gently took a small length of snare wire that had been in one of the packs, and began making a perfect snare. Gale had taught her how to make perfect snares quickly and easily, back when Katniss had been in the game. Gale and Katniss… Prim's thoughts drifted back to them, her old family and friends. She wondered if they were still alive. She could imagine them hold up in some dark cell, being forced to watch the games. Prim's face dropped at the thought of her sister watching her. Primrose was no longer the innocent little duck that Katniss remembered, now she was a hardened girl. Talking with Nathan had taught her that. Nathan… Her thoughts drifted to her district partner. His neck had been snapped at the first hurdle, he was the one tribute that she was certain had died. But eight other cannons had gone since then, and any eight tributes could be dead. Though going on odds, she was almost sure that Samyal, Adym and Orchid had died. They were too young to hold their own against another tribute.

"Prim?"  
Prim glanced over and looked at the tribute talking to her, Jodi. "Yes?"  
"I just wanted to ask you something about your sister." Jodi said quietly, sitting down next to Prim, who was just finishing off her snare.

"Sure." Prim replied bluntly.

"Did she really love Peeta?"

Prim thought about it. No. Katniss didn't love Peeta, it had always been gale who had been there in her heart. But could she reveal that to all of Panem? As she didn't know whether her sister was alive or not. She couldn't see the harm in it.

"No. She loved Gale."  
"Her cousin? That is almost as wrong as…"

"No. Gale wasn't her cousin. That was all made up for the cameras to explain their closeness."  
"That makes sense. So she was never pregnant, and she didn't actually get married."  
"All made up for the cameras."

"Guys! The fallen!" Peterson yelled, looking up at the sky, which would reveal all of the fallen tributes."

_District one:_

_District two: _

_District three:_

**_Adym Ollivers_**

_District four:_

_District five: _

**_Orchid Whisheart_**

**_Mychal Kane._**

_District six:_

**_Enna Emerald_**

**_Vayne Harglade_**

_District seven:_

_District eight:_

_District nine:_

_District ten:_

**_Samyal Hames_**

_District eleven:_

**_Magenta Roxenne_**

**_Ty Goodwin_**

_District twelve:_

**_Nathan Beddington_**

* * *

Rhine sighed deeply in her sleeping bag, the death of Mychal flashed back in her mind. She remembered every single second of the death of the boy, and annoyingly, she smiled. Despite what she wanted to say, she actually had enjoyed it.

_Mychal ran quickly to the treeline, with a pair of knifes holdtered in his belt, a crossbow in his arms and a backpack, he was desperate to get out of the bloodbath with his stolen weapons. He stumbled through the roots of some of the trees and made a little too much noise. Rhine heard, and looked down from the tree she was in, she had a target. His plan was actually well thought out, and taking some of the weapons the other tributes would want was a good way of rending them useless. Levyir without his crossbow was just a slut with a sharp tongue. No threat at all. She made a mental note to thank him later for removing that threat. She leapt out of the tree and landed on the ground just behind the boy, who stumbled from shock and dropped the crossbow. Rhine took her chord and flourished it with a cold smile, as Mychal pulled two daggers out of his belt, and prepared to fight. Rhine made a dive for him, but he moved out of the way, cutting at her, leaving a gash in her knee. She stumbled and turned around and sent a second dive at him, which he dived away from again, creating another gash in Rhine, this time cutting across her torso. Rhine was getting tired of his dodging now, and knew what to do. _

"_Scared little boy?"_

_Mychal did not speak in return, and simply made a dive for Rhine, which she was expecting. She sent her leg out and it hit him strait in the stomach, knocking him backwards onto the cold ground. Quick as a flash Rhine swung her chord and wrapped it around the neck of the boy. He immediately swung his knife up to the chord, and attempted to cut through it, which was met with another solid kick to the chest, sending him sprawling to the floor on all fours, now effectively a dog on a leash. With a chuckle Rhine picked up the crossbow, before placing her foot of Mychal's back and pressing down, her muscled legs making his back give way quite quickly. She then pressed the crossbow into the crook of his neck, struggling to hold it with one hand. _

"_Scared little boy?" She repeated her question from earlier._

_This time to answer he swung a knife into the foot of Rhine, and from the reaction of the girl, it went the whole way through. Rhine grunted with pain, and dropped the whip, putting her second hand onto the grip of the crossbow, before she pulled the trigger. She had seen some nasty things watching the games in her time. But this was one of the worst things she had seen. His head ruptured and a mixture of blood, brain and bone splattered over the floor of the clearing, a loud cannon then echoed through the arena, signalling his death. She threw the crossbow down to the side and reached down to her foot to pull the knife from it. She groaned and ripped a length of Mychal's trouser leg off to use as a makeshift bandage, ignoring that it was totally bloody for the moment, and pulling it tightly around her injury. She then quickly gathered the equipment up and made to move off, but she needed to leave the crossbow behind, it was too heavy to carry with the two bags, and it seemed as though Mychal had only taken the weapon, not the ammo._

Rhine brushed the memory from her mind as a small metal container landed softly at her feet, and a little red light flashed. She reached over and unscrewed the lid of the container, and a small tin fell out of it, with a small piece of paper with it. She used the blinking red light to read the slip of paper.

_Rooting for you. Emmile. (Your escort) xxx_

Rhine smiled and took a scoop of the content of the container and slavered it over her foot, frowning at the numbness that instantly echoed through her nerves. With an uncomfortable grimace she slumped down in her sleeping bag and tried to get some sleep, with the memory of her first kill still fresh in her mind.


	26. Gluttony

**I do think this chapter is the worst i have written...**

**I apologize for that...**

**So i am uploading the next chapter at the same time. **

**xxx**

* * *

Chapter 25. Gluttony

_Katniss glanced at her little sister, so cold and distant, nothing like the little duck that she used to be. Seeing this made Katniss regret everything. Seeing her little sister turn so cold was worse than those months that Peeta was tortured. Worse than the pain that she went through when Johanna Mason cut the monitoring device out of her arm. Worse than the pain Wiress went through when she was beaten down by Johanna. Worse than the sorrow she had felt when Mags sacrificed herself to the poison fog so that the other could escape. Prim had been the motivation for all of the things Katniss had done, to make sure her little sister would not have to live in such a cold world. But it was all in vain. Not only did she need to live in a cruel world, but she became part of it. Watching her little sister snap at the other tributes hurt Katniss. Seeing her tell all of Panem the truth of everything that she had done against the capitol caused her the greatest pain. Katniss turned to bury her head in Gale's shoulder, and gently sobbed against him. Then Gale turned away as well. Peterson, Fran and Jodi then appeared, butchered and bleeding, begging for their assailant to stop. Prim looked down. And in her hand was a bloody knife. _

Prim shot up in a cold sweat, panting deeply. She took a glance around. Jodi was curled up next to her, breathing deeply. It was a dream. Prim relaxed a little bit, settling down a little more, before a storm of footsteps burst into the campsite.

"Girls get up! You won't believe what Fran and I found!"

Prim sat up and glanced at Peterson, seeing the pure excitement on his face. Jodi sat up then, yawning deeply before sitting up herself. A few moments later the two girls were attempting to follow the overly excited Peterson through the jungle, until they burst out into a clearing, where they couldn't believe their eyes. A long buffet table, filled with all the luxuries of the capitol. Plates of fruits in every colour of the rainbow, vivid reds, beautiful yellows and deep sea greens. A Large pig sat in the centre of the table, keeping warm over a spit, with a brilliant rosy red apple in its mouth, its skin a mouth-watering bronze colour. Fran was at the other end of the table, with a large slab of chocolate cake, which she was just making her first mouthful of. Prim's stomach panged and she knew she wanted the food there. But why was the food their? Surely not out of the kindness of the capitol's heart. The only reason for it to be there was that it was some elaborate hoax. Prim then realised something horrible. Gluttony. Something that is difficult to fight, if you are hungry then you want to eat. But this game was designed to pit the tributes against themselves as well as each other. It was poisoned.

"STOP!" Prim wailed, running to knock the fork out of Petersons hand.

Peterson dropped the fork on the floor, then turned to Prim in anger. "What the hell is wrong with you! Don't look a gift horse in the mouth!" He spat at her.

"It's a trap! Why else would there be a buffet of food there?"

Peterson looked confused for a moment, before realisation crossed through him, which was quickly fought by denial. "I-it…"

"It's fine guys. I've been eating it for a while. I'm okay aren't I?"

Prim turned to Fran, and she looked okay, if not a little red faced from excitement, and maybe worry. She had only been eating one thing, maybe the luck of the draw was that that particular item was not poisoned. The next happening proved to Prim otherwise. Fran bent in double suddenly, clutching her gut, screaming with pain. Prim rushed to her, but in her heart she knew that the girl was in for something painful to say the least. Her body went into spasm suddenly, and she fell to the floor, writhing in pain. Blood began to pool in her mouth, and from her eyes, anybody could tell she was in agony. She glanced at Peterson, with tears streaming her face as blood began to splatter out from her mouth, crimson spurts of her life. Peterson shook his head softly, as his own eyes began to fill with tears. They all knew that Fran was going to die.

* * *

"… And then she threw a chicken at the peacekeeper." Levyir finished, tears in his eyes from laughter.

Liana then burst into extremities of laughter as well, wiping the tears from her eyes. "And this is your five year old sister?"

"I know. It is so wrong."

The two of them felt fairly safe with their volume, knowing that their only threats came from Rhine, Alisha and possibly Erika, trekking through the jungle, towards the mountain had been rather fruitful, they had discovered a bloody crossbow strewn at the bottom of one of the trees, which Levyir had wiped clean on Liana's jumper, much to her disapproval. They then discovered a beautiful lake, which they promptly used to fill up their drinking bottles, and wash their clothing. They then continued on their trek, knowing that the mountain would offer the best protection that they could find once the gamemakers began a torrential downpour. The island, as they had established, was actually rather beautiful, having brilliant sandy beaches, a beautiful warm water lake and even the jungle itself was a brilliant array of colourful flowers and trees.

"I wonder if there are any bolts leaning against trees somewhere?"

"I doubt it. They are probably at the cornucopia still."

"Fancy our chances? I'll distract Garnett for a minute and you slip in and grab them."

"Yeah, or not." Liana chuckled in return, as the sound of a cannon echoed across the island.

Both of them looked at each other, silently wondering who it was who had just been killed, although they knew that they would only discover who it was that night.

"Well that is ten down." Liana said softly, as the two friends began moving on towards the mountain.

"Yeah… Do we pull a Katniss at the end?" He replied softly, his lips pursing into a smile.

* * *

Topaz yawned and straightened up. It was light enough to wake people up now. She had been given the watch of the night, and was in charge of getting other people to wake up when the morning arrived. Garnett was the first one that Topaz wanted to wake up, knowing he would take the most time. She gently shook him, he didn't even stir. She shook him again, harder this time. He groaned a little, but barely stirred. Topaz scowled, drawing her leg back and kicking him hard in the side. Garnett's eyes shot open and he instinctively swung out and caught Topaz's foot, sending her tumbling to the ground.

"Garn! Stop it!" She squealed, shaking her leg to get out of the boy's grasp.

"Sorry…" He mumbled groggily, dragging his hand through his blonde hair. "Anything happen yet today?"

This was something that she was not looking forward to telling him, that a cannon had sounded a few minutes ago, and she had no way to tell him who it was for.

"Well a cannon went a few minutes ago." She muttered, watching the colour leave his face.

"Who?"  
"I don't know. But it wouldn't be him, he was with Liana. And there was only one cannon…"  
"But what if she left him! Or he fell or…"

"For Panem's sake Garnett, you have so little faith in him. He scored as high as you did for your tribute scoring. Stop worrying so much about it."

And that was the comfort that Garnett was given for the thought of having lost the boy he loved, before he was forced to get on with the day.


	27. Coup De Grace

**I uploaded two chapters at once to make sure you read 'Gluttony' first.**

**Don't want you to get lost.**

**WARNING.**

**This chapter made me feel a little queasy... **

**Be prepared.**

**Review****!**

**xxx**

* * *

Chapter 26. Coup De Grace

It had been four days since the games had begun, and Lucien was beginning to get restless. The closest thing they had seen to another tribute was two sets of tracks that they discovered on the third day. The tracks had belonged to a boy and a girl, and Garnett and Topaz had both came up with excuses to not follow them. There were both just trying to protect the boy that Garnett fancied. Lucien was tired of being a pathetic little career, and Ceres could tell it. Which is why he had made the biggest effort he could to avoid the boy. But he knew that he couldn't do it for much longer. He was on firewood duty tonight, with Lucien. The two boys set off into the trees at a fairly fast pace, Ceres' heart beating loud enough that he was certain Lucien could hear it. But to Ceres relief, Lucien hadn't said anything, just walked through the forest to find plenty of dry firewood. Unfortunately a downpour the night before had soaked most of the wood that scattered the forest floor. Ceres had noticed quite a lot of dry wood that they could have been used to build a fire, but he didn't want to point it out to the older boy, simply going with the flow. It was only when Lucien stopped to inspect the floor that Ceres became a little suspicious, and then he took off in another direction to the one they had been doing in.

"L-Lucien?" Ceres asked feebly, getting a tighter grip on his sword.

"What?" The older boy replied, not even turning to face the other boy.

"W-where are we going?"

"We're following the tracks of the boy and girl we found yesterday."

"B-but…"

"No buts. It is a deathmatch, if we don't kill we will be killed. I thought you would have remembered that from that girl."

Lucien's words cut into Ceres like a blade, the icy coolness of the tone he used made him uncomfortable. There was no way that Ceres wanted to make an enemy of this boy. But he would have rather done that then stay in the company of this raging lunatic. Ceres turned around sharply and walked confidently away from the other boy, but inside he wanted to run as fast as his legs would take him, to get him away from the raging psychopath that stood in front of him.

"Where are you going?" Lucien spat, turning around to look at the other boy for the first time.

Ceres ignored him, trying to keep confidence up, but he couldn't help his pace quicken, the undergrowth reacting to his fear with more noise and cracking of leaves. The path to escape this boy was the same as the one he had used to follow him, but why did it seem so much thicker and more overgrown. His contemplation time was cut short as he felt something jog his movement. He took a glance down. The tip of a blade was poking through his abdomen, Lucien's blade. Then the pain hit him, a searing cold that radiated though his body, every nerve tingling with pain. Is this what death felt like? Ceres felt the blade leave him as he slumped towards the ground, coughing up blood from his now bleeding system. Lucien walked around his body with the cold nature of a born killer, and stood in front of Ceres, who was squirming with pain, and anxiety. Lucien grasped Ceres' sword, and, effortlessly pressed it though the shoulder of the boy, who squealed with pain. The sword continued to be pushed in until the full length of the blade was submerged in Ceres, and the floor below, which was effectively pinning him to the ground.

"Bleed." Lucien whispered coldly, to the squirming boy underneath him, who had no way of removing the sword with his weaker arm.

Lucien then walked away from the boy, leaving him alone, in the jungle, his blood wetting the ground that was destined to be his grave.

* * *

Ray was utterly awestruck. His exploration of the catacombs under the mountain had lead him to see the most amazing thing in his life. A vault. A vault filled with gold. Ray had always dreamed of being rich, but this would make him richer than he had ever imagined.

"Alisha! I found something!" He yelled, not even turning away from the gleam of the gold.

She yelled something in reply, but Ray wasn't listening. He was too engrossed in the sight before him. He blindly walked forwards into the room, taking in the sight of the gems and gold. Rubies of the most vivid red and Sapphires of the deepest blue. He felt in utter bliss, the room being so warm. It appealed to him.

"RAY!" Alisha yelled from the doorway, looking into the vault at him.

He turned around and looked at her, scowling. "Look at it."

"I know! Get out of there!"

"Why?" He muttered, turning back to the gems.

"Because we are wasting time!" She shouted in response, irritated by his behaviour.

"In a second." He said, with a sigh, reaching out to touch one of the many glittering stones that littered the room.

Then it happened. The second the pad of his index finger touched the cool surface of the lustrous stone, it happened. A clear glass screen settled in the entrance of the vault, separating him and Alisha. He heard the hammering on it, and then realised he was trapped. He ran to the screen and began hitting it himself. To no avail. He scanned back into the vault to see if there was anything that could help him, and remembered that the room was filled with rocks. He picked up one of the largest he could see, and dropped it instantly, it was heavy. He then thought more sensibly and took one of the medium sized rocks, gesturing for Alisha to move out of the way. She did. Ray used all of his strength to hurl the rock at the door. Leaving nothing more than a scratch. He felt hotter than before. Probably in frustration. The sweat pooling on his brow and under his arms from nerves. He watched Alisha take her axe to the glass screen, using as much force as she could. Ray suddenly found breathing more difficult, the air in the room seemed to be denser than before. It was defiantly hotter than he could remember. He quickly shrugged off his jacket, letting it fall the floor as he made a move to grab another stone. Then he noticed it. His boots were stuck the ground. The soles of the thin rubber boots had melted, and were stuck to the floor. Ray looked down in utter horror. The temperature _was _increasing. He turned back around to face the door, and he looked at Alisha, who was still hacking away with her axe, but to no avail. Ray pounded his palms against the door, and to his, and Alisha's horror, he wiped a layer of his skin onto it.

"RAY!" Alisha screamed at the boy, though the glass was too much for her to shout through.

From the look of the inside of the Vault, Ray was melting from the heat. Alisha desperately wanted to help him, but she knew she couldn't. Her strongest blows with the axe were doing nothing other than making feeble scratches. She knew he was already dead. With one final look at the writhing boy, Alisha ran, not quite having the stomach to witness her friend melting. Because of his own greed.

* * *

"Oh Panem!" Liana wailed, making a faster run towards the clearing.

Her and Levyir had heard sound of a struggle a moment ago, but had not had it confirmed. Until now. Ceres was pinned down to the floor with a blade, with a large hole in his gut that carried the entire way through him. He was bleeding out quickly.

"Ceres! Ceres!" She yelled, looking down at the pale boy in utter disbelief. "Lev put pressure on the wound."

"I think I'm going to be sick." He breathed quickly, pressing his hands on the wound, gagging as the blood seeped up between his fingers.

Liana took her jacket off and quickly wrapped it around the boy's wound, Levyir all too happy to remove his hands from the blood, only to be instructed to do it again, but on the jacket not wound. Liana then looked up at his shoulder. Even if she could pull it out it would drag dirt through the wound, which would lead to certain infection, which would be a slow painful death if they didn't get any sponsors through. Suddenly a cannon sounded across the island, which made Levyir and Liana look at each other in disbelief. Ceres' was still breathing.

"Ceres?" Liana whispered, moving her lips to his ear. "Ceres?" She looked up at Lev, who had gone very pale, and she gently eased across to his lips, and pressed her ear to them.

She felt some warmth against them. He was still breathing. Then her ear was hit by more warmth. But not from his breath. Ceres violently coughed blood up onto her, going into her hair and touching her skin. She sat up violently, and noticed the blood from his nose. He was suffering from a cerebral haemorrhage. He was definably going to die. Liana sent a glance at Levyir, who was looking paler by the second.

"Do you want to turn away?" She asked softly, knowing that the boy was no career, and obviously not as comfortable with blood as he would have hoped.

"Please." He breathed in response, turning away, looking down at his blood covered, violently shaking hands.

Liana felt sympathy for the boy, as she took one of the throwing stars from her belt, and pressed it against Ceres' heart. She took a deep breath, and plunged forward, imbedding the star of metal into his heart, killing him instantly. Coup de grace. A cannon sounded. The act of mercy that it was made Levyir let out a mournful howl, before he sobbed loudly, burying his head in Liana's chest. She gently held the boy, affectionately stroking his hair as he sobbed against her. Meanwhile, the remaining careers heard the scream of sorrow come from the direction Ceres and Lucien had headed, and after the cannon sounded. They sped off in search of the source.

* * *

**That is half of the tributes gone. **

**Things are getting bad now!**

**xxx**


	28. No rest from the wicked

**Another eventful chapter. **

**But the next one is what i'm looking forward to.**

**One i have been planning since before i had all my tributes. **

**I have called it.**

**'Pretty much dead already'**

**Just a little teaser for you.**

**Have fun with this one.**

**Which is still a nice one.**

**Review!  
xxx**

* * *

Chapter 27 No rest from the wicked

Rayleigh sobbed as she looked into the night sky. The picture of Ceres flashed up. His perfect smile lingering for a few moments before it dissolved on to the next one. She looked down to her feet and scrunched up against the tree even more. The boy had saved her life, and now he was dead. She took a deep breath and gently edged herself onwards. The forest was dark and every twig that snapped under her foot made her blood freeze. She kept moving, not trusting herself to stay anywhere, the risk of dying being greater at night, when she didn't know what was coming. She continued wandering, her lips dry and cracked from dehydration, her last drink of water being in the torrential downpour a day ago. Blundering on through the night, branches snagged at her hair and caught her clothes. Thorns cutting her skin. By the time she had exited the treeline her skin was badly scratched and torn. But that didn't matter now. She thought she was dreaming. She stumbled onto an open pasture, with a large lake in the centre of it, glistening with serenity in the moonlight. Rayleigh staggered over to it and submerged her hands in the water, taking it to her mouth, drinking it with glee. Her feet aching with strain, she took her boots and socks off, dangling her feet into the warm water. She smiled with small pleasure when the warmth enveloped her aching feet, and she knew that she could do with a nice wash. She stripped down to her bare skin and lowered herself into the warmth, smiling as the water soothed her bruises and cuts, relaxing her. She felt her eyes droop, and she tried to keep them open, but she struggled to. It was so blissful that she couldn't help but want the rest she craved. She hadn't slept in a while, and this was just so serene. She smiled for the first time all week and her eyes closed. No sleep was gained from this relaxation, because when her eyes fully closed, she submerged. Her eyes flew open and she tried to gasp for air, but she couldn't. She was underwater. In a desperate attempt to escape she began trying to claw through the water, as her fingers clashed with a solid surface sending her backwards further into the deep, as she realised what had happened. The bottom of the lake that she had been laying on was a force field. When she rested it had been removed by the gamemakers, and she had fallen into the deep. Then it had been put back on, trapping her underwater. The dark water of the lake depths surrounded her as she came to terms with her fate. She struggled with an incredible pressure that was choking her lungs that were screaming for air, she moved her arms around frantically, somehow hoping that the gamemakers would feel sympathy and rescue her rescue her, but it was no use, she kept on going under. The water was no longer warm and soothing, but icy cold and harsh. The cold ebbed through her veins as she unintentionally inhaled a mouthful of the cold, which began lowering her body temperature from the inside. She hit the bottom of the pool. Cold water moved into her nostrils, from her feeble attempt to breath, which made her sneeze violently into the water, her legs kicking up the stirred mud and silt that was settled at the bottom of the darkness. Rayleigh wanted to scream as her lungs were squeezed smaller by the pressure, she choked and gagged on nothing. Her throat burned with trapped air and her ears were pounding. Her heart was beating against her chest as fast as lightning and all she heard was the rumble of the icy water that had surrounded her. She could take no more. As she opened her mouth to scream all that came out was a flurry of bubbles and she realized she had little time left. Suddenly, a smile pursed her features. She would no longer need to face the horrors of the arena. She could no longer see the fake, artificial beauty that surrounded her every day. The sound of cannons and screams that echoed through the air would never greet her ears again. The echoing horror of her old friends tortured wails would no longer haunt her, she was at peace. No poverty, no bullying, no fake smiles, no pain. Is this what it was like to die? Death no longer seemed like a bad thing. It was an escape. A few people entered her minds. Todd and Benz would be watching this. Would they know she was happy? No. Then Ceres. She hoped she would meet Ceres wherever she was destined to go next. So she could thank him. With the last strength that flowed through her, she lifted three fingers to her lips, placing a kiss on them. Before her life faded from her. And she could finally be at peace.

* * *

Alisha frowned and glanced over her shoulder again, making sure she was alone. With Ray behind her she felt safer, she wasn't alone. In the cave systems she felt safer, only a path in front of her and one behind her. But now, in the jungle, by the deep ravine. She felt endangered. She felt eyes on her skin. She felt someone else's presence. She was being watched. Taking a tighter grip on her axe she continued to stride forward, her confidence returning to her quickly. Until she spun her head around. A branch behind her had snapped. Or had it? The jungle was playing with her mind. She returned to her walking, the long grass on the edge of the ravine coming up to her knees. A twig snapped behind her. This time she heard it clear as day. She tried to remain nonchalant about it, but she had formed a plan. She took the backpack from her shoulders and slipped her hand through it, until they came into contact with her other axe. She took a deep breath. She pulled the axe from her pack and threw it at the grass she had heard the twig snap from. Simultaneously an arrow flew from the patch of grass, narrowly missing Alisha's stomach. Someone took a dive out of the grass next, quickly jumping to her feet and attempting to notch another arrow. Erika. Alisha lunged at her with her axe immediately, which was parried with the limb of her bow. Then things exploded into action. Erika snatched a knife up from her thigh and attempted to slam it into Alisha, but she managed to spin out of the way of the blow, adopting a battle stance against the girl. Alisha was taller and stronger than Erika, but the younger girl was just as feisty, and unlike Alisha, didn't have any first kill guilt affecting their fighting style. Alisha made a swing to the legs of the shorter girl, which she avoided, jumping high out of the way. With an outstretched leg Erika hit Alisha in the face, landing lightly on the floor, whilst the older girl stumbled back from the blow, clutching her bleeding lip. With a roar Alisha launched into an explosion of strikes towards Erika, managing to hit her in the chest, to which she recoiled and fell down to the ground. Looking at her work, Alisha noticed that the cut was not very deep, though it looked like it was fairly painful. Erika was squirming from her, trying to get away, but Alisha was having none of it, holding her axe in her hand and taking a deep breath, getting ready to bring it down onto the girl's skull. She closed her eyes and swung down, connecting with an object that was definitely not her target. Opening her eyes, Erika had her bow in front of her face, blocking the death blow by only a few inches. It was then, when a snapping twig turned both girls around.

* * *

Lucien glanced at the two girls who were both looking at him with a rabbit in the headlights stare, before Erika saw her opportunity, She sent a kick into Alisha's side and sent her stumbling to the floor, then made a run for it. Lucien made a move to catch the girl, but she was gone before he could even move. With a cold smile he turned his eyes on Alisha, who already had a bleeding lip and was fairly worn out from the other encounter. It would be easy. He swung out with his blade, which was still moist from Ceres' gut, towards the girl, who jumped out of the way, but the blade still skimmed her stomach, leaving a thin line of blood on it. Lucien formed an evil smile and watched as Alisha shed her coat, picking up her second axe in the process. The fight begins. He dived at her with a vertical strike from his claymore, which she deftly blocked with her axes, surprising him with her strength. She then got a swift kick in to his gut, which knocked him back a little, but to prevent a counter attack, he swung out in a forward arc that left a nasty gash in Alisha's thigh. She stumbled as he went in for a second overhead strike, which she dodged, but taking her dangerously close to the edge of the ravine. She tossed one of her axes quickly, leaving a bad cut on Lucien's arm. He shrugged it off, it wasn't his strong arm. He made another strike, which was dodged, Alisha throwing herself to the side, leaving her on the floor and him standing. He turned to her, and was greeted with a swift kick to the testicles. He grunted as the girl put all of her strength into one final kick, hitting him on his right him, knocking him down, right into the ravine. Lucien's strong arm found a sturdy vine to cling on to, whilst his other arm dangled uselessly. Alisha walked up to him slowly, axe in hand, and whispered a vicious.

"I'm surprised I hit them. They're so damn small."

Before swinging her axe full force into his wrist, cutting it clean off. Sending the evil boy into the deep ravine, to his death,


	29. Life and Death

**This chapter was entitled Pretty much dead already originally.**

**But i took the name of the piece of music that helped me write it.**

**It is part of the 'LOST' soundtrack.**

**Playing it during the last paragraph really brings out the ambiance,**

**Just a warning. **

**You may need a tissue.**

**xxx**

* * *

Chapter 28. Life and Death.

Liana went into the cave first, leading the way as she had done for most of the journey. Levyir was good entertainment, but he didn't have much in the way of navigational skills, so it was only natural that she take the lead. Levyir was still shaken up from Ceres, but she had attempted to take his mind off of it, by asking him to tell her some stories from home.

"So what is one thing that you remember the most about your childhood?"

He thought for a moment, pondering the many memorable events from his youth, before settling on one. "Okay… It isn't so much from my childhood, but it was about one and a half years ago. I was fifthteen. It was before all the rebellion shit started. Basically, my first boyfriend."  
"Should we be sitting down for this?" Liana joked, wandering through the dark cavern, using a flaming torch to light the way.

"An excuse to rest? I won't say no to that." Levyir sang happily, sitting down on the floor as if it was the most comfortable thing in the world.

Liana laughed at the energy of the boy and sat down as well, against the side of the tunnel ready to listen to this sure to be interesting story.

"Right. So we had been going out for a while. He's a year older than me. Kinda hot. Six pac, muscled, all that jazz. He invites me over for dinner at his family's house one night. So it's really awkward because he is from one of the poor families in the district and he didn't really have much food. But anyway me, him and his mother were eating, and then his dad came home. Big man, and I recognised him right away, he had tried to steal some of the barley from my farm and my Nan went to fight him. He laughs and gives it all the hard man talk but about three moves later my Nan is whooping his arse. So anyway she beats the shit out of him and then he runs off crying. So this man sits opposite me and my boyfriend introduced me to his dad, and he recognised my surname and stated throwing all this shit at me, so I told him if he kept on I'd get my nan to beat him up again. Then he hit me round the face and I act all hurt but really he hits like a sissy. So the loving boyfriend took me back to mine and then my mother invited him in for the night because it was fairly late at the time. They don't know i am dating him. We go up to my bedroom and sit on my bed, start kissing. Then he gets all horny and pulls himself out and asks me to 'suck it'. He is really kinda small and my brother walks in and just laughs at it, he did know i was gay. I then laugh as well because my brother has this laugh that is really infectious. Anyway the guy try's to play the hard man act and he actually thinks he is big. Then my brother unzips and well my brother is like… Really big…"

"Bigger than Peterson?"

"Bigger than Peterson. So then this guy goes on about how my brother is just too big, then I take mine out and I'm pretty big too, not like scary big but above average, more than enough to get the job done. Anyway then this guy gets all paranoid and starts saying that we have implants. My brother then starts rubbing himself and then this guy gets all horny and asks for a three-way. I just laugh and my brother says that he wouldn't share me with someone like him. Then this guy gets all touchy and calls us inbred really loud, which my nan hears and comes straight upstairs and goes off on one and has a massive go at this kid, who is still naked by the way, and then she kicks him out of the house. Naked. So he has to walk across the whole district naked and it was a really cold night. My Nan was a bit senile too, so she didn't even question that me and my brother were naked. So the next morning his dad and him come back and have some peacekeepers with him and this man demands that they take my grandmother. Of course they can't because she was a victor so then my Nan goes off on one again saying that the man hit me and the peacekeepers haul them off for the lashings. It was a funny weekend."

"You sound like a good boyfriend." Liana said sarcastically to the storyteller, who laughed in response.

"I don't know why I went out with him actually. He didn't even know what 'on the rag' meant. He was such a looser too… I think I just went out with him because he had a six pac."

"Confident?"

"I was literally the most popular person in district nine i…"

Levyir's sentence was cut short when out of nowhere, an arrow flew into Liana's chest.

* * *

Levyir stared blankly at the arrow for a few moments as Liana looked down at it with shock, before his eyes scanned the tunnel. From the light of the torch he could just about see a glint of silver from one end of the corridor. Then he went into action. He broke into a sprint at the assailant, running with all his strength, crashing into them with full force. He didn't know who they were and he didn't care. They just tried to kill his best friend. The two tributes were both sprawled on the floor, when it occurred to Levyir that he was unarmed, and this tribute could easily have a knife, or even a sword. This could even have been Garnett. He knew that Erika had a bow. But that wasn't the only bow, and a cannon had sounded a little while ago, someone could have killed her. Whilst he was distracted with his own thoughts the attacker had recovered themselves and then launched themselves at Levyir, diving on top of him immediately. Levyir noticed that there was a knife in its hand, he moved his arm just in time as the knife swung down, landing in the place his forearm had been seconds before. Quick as a cat Levyir swung out and knocked the knife from the assailants hand, out of reach, which turned the fight into a brawl. Lev grunted as a few punches got him in the face, and he lashed out, with an open handed slap that seemed to echo through the tunnel. Then the fight got a little more violent, scratching nails attacked his face and he soon was bleeding, quite badly. Levyir remembered how his Grandmother won her games, and drew his legs around the chest of his attacker and crossed his ankles, contracting his legs. The person above him, who Lev believed to be female, started to choke and gasp. She swung a few more punches and they connected with the boy underneath her, but they were getting weaker now. Lev squeezed tighter and the girl, gasped, and then two thumbs found Levyir's eyes. And pushed. His own hands shot up to his face instantly to stop the thumbs, but he unintentionally loosened the hold on his attackers waist, who swung up with her knee, hitting him hard in the genitals. Levyir lost the tension in his legs and suddenly flopped down, writhing in pure pain. The assailant then made a move for the knife on the floor, grabbing it and moving it to Levyir's throat.

"I hate you." An icy voice whispered in his ear. "You and your friends were the reason I was afraid to go to school as a child."

"Erika?" He choked, clutching onto the charisma that could still save him. "Please. Don't…"

"Shut the fuck up and bleed pretty boy! I don't see any of your boyfriends coming to save you…"

She stopped and let out a pain filled scream, dropping the dagger onto the floor next to Levyir as a throwing star embedded itself in her hand. Levyir instantly lunged for the dagger and the next thing he knew his face was being sprayed with blood. Her blood. A cannon sounded.

* * *

"Liana." Levyir whimpered, crawling over to the girl who had just saved his life. "Liana. You're gonna be okay."

He looked down at the arrow in her torso, and then tears began to bead in his eyes.

"I don't know what to do." He feebly whispered. "I don't know what to do."

"Lev…" She croaked, gently lifting a hand to the cheek of the boy. "It's okay. I'll finally see my mother again. Just promise me that you will win for me. I want my death to mean something."

"No… No don't say goodbye. Please. Just hang on."

"To what? This world? It's wrong. I have no place in it. You do. People love you…"

"People love you…"

"Lev. Promise me that you will win. For me. For Garnett. For everyone who loves you. Don't listen to what that bitch said. Win. You'd make a pretty mockingjay."

Liana's joke was out of place, and it made Levyir sob harder. "Liana. Listen to me. It's all going to be okay. You'll be fine…" He pleaded with himself more than her, losing himself in the sorrows of losing his dear friend.

"Lev… Make sure that you… You… Love him…" Her voice drifted away from her lips as her eyes searched the blue pools of Levyir's, bringing a smile to her lips, before her eyes hardened to stillness, glazing over with death, as a lone cannon pierced the night.

"Liana." He whimpered. "Liana…"

He put a hand to her cold, pale face as he came to the realisation that this was the end. There would be no goodbye to this girl. A girl who had kept him alive for so long. He would never get to thank her for what she had done for him. He would never see her smile again.

"Liana…" He sobbed, holding her shoulders gingerly. "Wake up...Wake up." He begged, though his pleas did not reach the girl, just everyone else in Panem. Who all, even those of the capitol, felt the sorrow of this boy. "Please wake up… Please… Don't leave me here. Don't leave me all alone. Come back."

His sobs became mournful howls as he pressed his head against her chest and cried into it, wailing for her to come back, but that was something she could not do. For all his howls and pleas, he could not wake the dead. Levyir suddenly stopped his howling, and looked down at his hands, blood smeared across his fingers and palms from his encounter with Erika.

"No…" He whimpered, turning his head to the other corpse. "Please no… Don't say I killed her… Don't say it was me…"

His tears fell once more, under the realisation that he was no longer the innocent boy that had entered the games. No longer the happy teen who would happily share his stories to Panem… He was a murderer. He looked up and searched for some form of comfort in the face of his friend, but there was none to have. Her eyes no longer held the comfort that they had before. Now they were unblinking pools of glass that wielded no comfort, no sympathy. He searched in them for an answer to his sorrow, but there was none to be had. He was alone. His life hanging by a thread. He suddenly hated himself. This is why Katniss had been fighting. He remembered her with the little girl Rue. Had it felt this bad? It was that second that he knew he had been a fool remaining neutral in the rebellion. He knew that Katniss had a just cause. One that he would now be ready to die for. If he survived the carnage that took his friend. In his most sorrow filled moment, with nobody to comfort him, he gently hugged the corpse of his friend. His wordless sorrow playing on every television in the land. When he lifted three fingers to his lips. And kissed them.

* * *

**I'm sorry to all of those Liana lovers. But the scene had been in my head since day one.**

**Please review. **

**xxx**


	30. A window of opportunity

**Sorry for the update time... I was Ill :(**

**I then again apologize for how bad it is... It is a little... Y'know...**

**Read and Review! XxX **

* * *

Chapter 29. A window of opportunity

"_Attention tributes. There will be a feast held at the cornucopia at midday tomorrow. All survivors of this feast will be able to leave the arena. May the odds be ever in your favour."_

* * *

Peterson listened to the voice in shock, and hope. But then doubt. From the faces seen at night, Peterson still believed that there were four career tributes left, and Alisha, who could be anywhere. His group had survived because they had laid low and avoided all contact with the other tributes. Could he just break that rule? 'Don't take risks'had become the rule of the group ever since Fran had died. They had not risked drinking from the water sources of the island, and had relied on rainwater for their drinking. They found a cluster of wooden huts in one of the remote areas of the island but had avoided them due to the suspicion of them being some form of trap. He sighed after the voice stopped, and turned to Jodi and Prim.

"What do you think?" Peterson asked his two companions.

"Bullshit. The capitol is hardly renowned for being honest. The careers will slaughter us on sight." Prim returned quickly, with her unyielding eyes keeping their hard stare on Peterson.

"But… What if they're not? What if everybody else leaves and we are stuck here. Shouldn't we at least go and check?" Jodi chimed in, ever the optimist.

"No. If we 'just go and check' we may not survive to get out."

"And if we don't 'go and check' none of us will! You think we can beat some of the people left? You think they will let us all live even if we do! We aren't Katniss. You need to get that into your head right now."

"Girls. Calm it. If we start fighting now then we will just stay here till we rot. We should just go to check at least. Maybe there is something to what they say."

The three of them then blindly trudged across the stretch of land they had been using as cap for the last few days, heading towards the jungle that lay in wait for them on the other side of it. The morning sun being just enough light for them to be able to navigate their way back to the cornucopia, re-tracing the traps that Peterson had set across the jungle.

"What I find suspicious is that there are eight tributes left and that means the capitol are really being weird about the feast timing. They usually do it when there are a quarter of the tributes left." Peterson said, looking at Jodi, who nodded her head in agreement.

"Yeah. Well as long as nobody thinks I am a lesbian I don't see how this could get any worse." Jodi returned, with a small laugh.

"Will you two just shut up. We need to at least attempt to be subtle."

* * *

The announcement had echoed across the island and all of the tributes had heard it loud and clear. It had even drowned out the frantic sobbing from Levyir, who was blindly trudging through the jungle, his sense of direction failing him utterly as he stopped again, spinning around to try and get his bearings in the darkness of the forest. He set off on another path and then stopped again, glancing around him into the undergrowth. A twig had definitely just snapped. With a final, frantic glance, he made a run from the direction of the noise, blundering through the undergrowth. It could be anything, another tribute, a mutation, and he didn't even have a weapon. He powered forward and ran as fast as he could, when he saw a glint of movement to his left. No time was gifted to him to fight back as someone dove from the undergrowth next to him and knocked him down to the floor. Lev threw an onslaught of kicks and scratches at said assailant, but it was insufficient to knock them away, instead causing them to release him for a spilt second, before a whole bottle of water was dumped over his head. Who would waste water like that? Only one set of people. Careers. His eyes couldn't pick out the figures in the dark, but from his remaining tribute knowledge, it had to be Garnett and Topaz. Nobody else was in a boy and girl pair, especially since there was only two other boys in the arena with him, and they both looked the same, apart from who they were with. And this figure was certainly too feminine to be Jodi, and miles too tall to be Prim.

"Garnett?" Lev whimpered, feebly glancing up at the boy, whose emotional attachment could spare his life.

No answer was given. Instead a pair of arms flung themselves around Levyir's waist and hoisted him up into the air, causing the smaller boy's stomach to let out a loud groan, partially from hunger, partially from motion sickness. The older boy then set him down and embraced him in a hug that was a little too tight for comfort.

"Panem I've missed you!" The older boy breathed, before slackening the embrace. "Do you have any idea how worried I was when they showed Liana's picture!"

Levyir's eyes began watering again at this, his sobs that had almost disappeared resurfaced and struck out as a strangled wail, before he fell down the cold, moist ground. "Erika killed her." He cried, this time welcoming the warmth that Garnett's arms brought. "Then I killed Erika." He finished, his feeble attempts at stifling his cries failing him as he let out a cry that rung out across the forest, before it was silenced by another bear hug from Garnett, who was making numerous shushing noises at the younger boy.

"It's okay. You're okay now. I'll keep you safe okay?" Garnett whispered to the boy, who was cuffing his tears on his sleeve.

"Oh come on you two lovebirds. Just snog or shag or something so we can get moving yeah?"

Garnett blushed deeply at Topaz's words and Levyir let out a small giggle, putting a hand to the face of the older boy, his old confidence rushing back to him. "Of course, I must thank my knight in shining armour." He said softly, placing a soft kiss on Garnett's lips, which the older boy once again did not deem as enough to satisfy him, but was far too self-conscious to ask for more on live television.

Instead he took a different route, bolstering his manliness. "Yeah let's just get going. We need to get the cornucopia soon."

"Good recovery." Topaz teased, gliding over to the two boys and giving Garnett a fake pat on the back.

"Shut up." He mouthed at the girl, who was giving Levyir a hand up.

Topaz smiled and glanced down at Levyir, who was a few inches shorter than herself. "You know Lev." She began, loudly. "Garnett was having a major spaz-out without you. Every day he was pestering that we come look for you and every night he would moan that you would be near the end of the death roll."

"Yeah Liana said that he probably would be. What can I say? I'm loveable."

* * *

Alisha ran with all of her worth, desperate to escape from her pursuer, the snagging branches and overhanging vines being batted away or cut with a swipe from her axe. Her feet took her through the forest, but her attacker had been just as quick, and was still close behind her, eager to kill Alisha with a couple of swift strikes. Alisha didn't know who it was, but she had some idea. It was one of the three remaining career tributes; the other four wouldn't have been ballsy enough to go after her like this. Another branch got in her way, and was smashed down to the ground with a vicious swing of her axe. Flinging her head to look over her shoulder, she caught a glimpse of her pursuer, and that was all she needed. A burst of energy inside her gave her the strength to run on, making her speed increase just the slightest, propelling her a little faster through the dense undergrowth. She caught glimpse of a low hanging branch and she dove underneath it, clambering clumsily to her feet as she anticipated her attacker to head-butt the branch. They did not. A hand clasped around her ankle as she attempted to run off, sending her tumbling back into the undergrowth. Soon enough her axe was taken from her and drove into a nearby tree and a frim kick hit her in the side of the ribs and she grunted, reeling in pain.

"Scared little girl?"

"Don't expect me to beg for my life. I'm not going to let go of the dignity that I have left."

"Brave words for someone who I could kill in a heartbeat."

"Just do it then!"

Rhine smiled coldly, before she lifted her boot above Alisha's face. And stomped.

* * *

**It is almost the finale!**

**Now i know how much Js21 liked Alisha...**

**But please do not stop reading... **

**That goes to everyone.**

**It will get good next chapter. **

**I hope...**

**xxx**


	31. Pretty Much Dead Already

This story is on the final lap now...

Only a few more chapters to go.

:'(

But I will be starting a simular story... But with a BIG difference.

The first chapter of that is up soon.

xxx

Enjoy.

R&R

* * *

Chapter 30. Pretty much dead already.

_In a far distant office, where a large circular table that would usually hold several capitol officials stood, two people were sat, poised over what word would be chosen next. Tobius Megalore and President Snow. _

"_Mr President." Tobius started softly, bowing his head a little. _

"_Mr Megalore, I trust the reason of this urgent meeting is as valid as the various tasks I had to leave in order to attend it."_

"_Yes sir. It is concerning the games."  
_

_"Of course it is. Why else would you need to talk."_

"_The boy. Nine. His…"  
_

_"I know. Do you think I do not know? Do you believe me to be so ignorant over my own people?"_

"_I apologize sir. But the fans he is generating is almost record… And now he is becoming close with the boy from one… We could be seeing a repeat of the Katniss event."  
_

_"Nonsense. His family life shows he has no desire for the rebellion. And his likelihood of victory is weak."  
"I believe he will give an attempt of a nightlock." _

_President Snow stopped for a moment, turning to look at his comrade with a steely gaze, his eyes doing little to conceal a small rage. "So my instructions were…"  
_

_"No sir. The arena contains no nightlock, but I'm afraid there are alternatives."_

"_If you fear the boy so much then kill him."_

"_Again sir… If we were to do so. The capitol would resent us."_

"_Then what is your own suggestion."  
_

_"Change the rules. Let more than he out. Let a number survive."  
_

_"And display our weakness to the districts so deeply that we cause another rebellion?"  
_

_"No sir. They wouldn't. It would simply be giving the public what they want. Showing a little more leniency towards the districts and you could __have them all in your palms. The same way district two is…"_

_"Enough. What of the other tributes. Primrose, Jodi, Alisha? What is the capitol's opinion on them?"  
_

_"They all have different fan bases. But I'm sure the public would be surely happy of this. And again, those surviving have proved that they are not sin ridden, the trials of the arena have ironed those out swiftly."  
_

_"And what if those 'survivors' raise a rebellion in their name?"  
_

_"Simply keep them in the dawnstar building. With…"  
_

_"Yes… You seem to be well thought on this topic. But do not forget the fate of the last gamemaker who was too soft on tributes."_

"_I do not believe that giving the public what they want is soft. It is just good business."_

"_Very well, do what you see fit. But I do insist that we need more blood before there is anybody leaving."  
_

_"Of course sir…"  
_

_"And I also refuse to allow Primrose to leave that arena."  
_

_"Do not worry sir. She is pretty much dead already."_

* * *

Garnett frowned slightly as Levyir gave Peterson a hug that was a little too long for his comfort, but when Lev did finally pull away he let out a sigh of relief, that did not go unheard by Topaz, who was perched next to him on the floor, now smiling at the older boy.

"Looks like you've found yourself totally smitten." She cooed, giggling softly, rubbing his leg gently.

"Piss off." He murmured, moving to sit down next to her, watching Levyir talking to the people who used to be his friends, who probably now resented him.

"It's been a weird set of games. Like… All the drama."  
Garnett laughed in response to Topaz's comment. "You can say that again."

"I mean. How quickly did the careers break up? Well they never really started, district two, the big shot career group, just abandoned us immediately. Well the girl did… Lucien took a little longer to… Garnett you're not listening to me are you?"  
"Yeah I know. It's been a weird few days."

Topaz frowned, then smirked, before she raised her voice a little bit. "Oi Lev! Garnett's staring at your arse again!"

Garnett's face turned blank, and red, instantly, whilst Levyir simply rolled his eyes and shouted back. "I don't blame him, it's nice to look at."

"Ha. She he doesn't care I was being a perv." Garnett stated triumphantly, looking at Topaz with a smirk.

"Garn that isn't something to be proud of." Topaz returned, laughing softly, taking a glance over at the forest, where two more tributes were due to arrive from. "Hey." She started, louder than before. "Do you guy's think that Alisha and Rhine will pitch up anytime soon?"

As if to answer her question, the tree's rustled with movement, and Rhine strode out, smirking confidently.

"Hey there brother fucker." She aimed at Garnett, whose knuckles immediately tensed up, his anger building. "Looks like your little Levyir only chose you to keep him safe and now he doesn't need you he's chosen Peterson…"

"Don't drag me into this. I've never chose anyone. If fact I said no to both of them when they tried to drag me into all of this. I wasn't in either alliance despite being offered…"  
"No you just manipulated Liana into an alliance of your own, then used her as a meat shield."

This time Levyir tensed up, but with sorrow, not anger, as how easily this girl had seen through him, but mistaken his intentions. He didn't use Rhine as a meat shield, she was a dear friend. Peterson gently drew his arms around the younger boy, who started to sob again, before Jodi made an attempt at breaking the tension.

"So now we're just waiting on Alisha… Wonder where she is…"  
"Or if she is coming." Prim added quickly, still convinced that this was a trap.

"I'm sure that she will be along soon." Topaz started, lolloping on the floor lazily. "It's not like there has been any cannons since yesterday. Which reminds me… Anyone know how Rayleigh died? Or Lucien?"

"No idea." Rhine said quickly looking across at the treeline, appearing to be looking for Alisha, though Garnett new that she had no concern for the girl.

* * *

The seven tributes waited in limbo for a time, all donning mindless chatter as the relinquishment to their boredom. Alisha was the clear catalyst needed to let them return home, but she was someone who maybe believed that coming to the bloodbath was a bad idea. She had not been seen by any of the tributes for the entire duration of the games, or so they believed. But in reality Rhine had seen Alisha. Rhine had knocked Alisha out so that She would be able to get to the bloodbath without difficulty. What had happened between the two girls was shaky and had Rhine not chased down the girl, she would have been killed by her.

_Rhine stopped for a moment to catch her breath, and gently took a sip of water from her flask. She was sure that she was heading the right way. A cracking twig behind her stood her up and span her around. Alisha.  
"I don't want to fight you." Rhine said, but she knew from Alisha's eyes that she didn't believe the statement of the career._

_Rhine spotted the muscles in Alisha's finger twitch and Rhine knew an attack was coming. With a flourish of her whip, Rhine caught Alisha on the side of her jaw, a blow that caused deep pain in the girl. Seconds later it was a brawl. Alisha was strong, but her untempered blows were fuelled by her anger, making her hits much more clumsy then any the career would have made. Rhine drew a knife up from her belt and aimed it at Alisha's chest, realising that in order to survive she would need to kill this girl. Alisha, by chance, moved from the blow, catching her foot on a stone had saved her life, but the dagger still did make contact. It hit just above the shoulder blade, and left a deep gash. Alisha took her chances now and made a run for it, Rhine followed quickly, knowing this girl could ruin her chances to get out of the arena. __Rhine ran with all of her worth, desperate to catch up with her quarry, the snagging branches and overhanging vines being batted away or cut with a swipe from the girl in front of her, making Rhines run much less difficult. Her feet took her through the forest, but her prey had been just as quick, and was still a fair way ahead of her, eager to escape. A burst of energy inside Alisha gave her the strength to run on, making her speed increase just the slightest, propelling her a little faster through the dense undergrowth. Rhine had to go with all her worth to keep sight of her. When she spotted a low hanging branch that was in her path. Rhine grabbed and vaulted over the branch as the form of Alisha made a desperate scramble for escape. Rhine's hand clasped around Alisha's ankle as she attempted to run off, sending her tumbling back into the undergrowth. Rhine snatched Alisha's axe and drove into a nearby tree and sent a frim kick into the side of her ribs._

_"Scared little girl?" She said, trying to keep up the façade she had put on so far._

_"Don't expect me to beg for my life. I'm not going to let go of the dignity that I have left."_

_"Brave words for someone who I could kill in a heartbeat."_

_"Just do it then!"_

_Rhine smiled coldly, but it was a fake smile, before she lifted her boot above Alisha's face. And stomped. Hard enough to knock her out cold, and with luck, make her forget about this chase._

A word rung out on the wind that snapped Rhine out of her thoughts, and as she turned to face it, she was met with an axe, which hit her

in her chest.

* * *

**Shock horror! Alisha is alive :P**

**Which was my intention anyway. The awkward review kind of made me want to kill her, but then the story plan i have would have been ruined :O**

**Head on over to my profile to have a glance at my other story...**

**Just a taste of it anyway. **

**xxxx**


	32. Enigma

**Hey guys. **

**I have settled on the ending so i know know who is the winner. XD**

**A decision that was hard but i think it is a good one. **

**Personally.**

**xxx**

**Warning for a little SMUT in the chapter...**

**But don't skip it...**

**Could be another tissue moment... **

**Not just because someone had a little play over the SMUT...**

**XD**

**xxx**

**Please review**

* * *

Chapter 31. Enigma

Rhine was down on the floor within a heartbeat, and the delay that was mere seconds seemed to be hours as the cannon sounded in the sky. Shock was overwhelming most tributes, but Garnett and Topaz knew that Alisha was a threat, though much less so without her axe. They turned to the girl. Her olive face had blood dripping from her nose, which was largely disfigured, obviously she had collided with something strong. Her arms were decorated with cuts and bruises with copious amounts of foliage decorating her hair. She looked terrible. Moments later she had descended into a small lump on the ground, which was still slightly dampened with the blood from the very start of the games. A week ago. It didn't seem like a week to any of the tributes. Even the fairly safe games that Peterson, Jodi and Prim had been experiencing had dragged onwards. The blisters that decorated Levyir's feet spoke for themselves and even the careers were looking rather worn down, Garnett being noticeably thinner than before the games and Topaz with her hair grown much longer. They had all been effected by the games.

"Is she okay?" Jodi asked, always one to voice her concerns.

"Don't. Knowing her track record it is going to be a trap. Since none of us killed Lucien, Ray and Rayleigh it must have been her." Garnett said immediately, looking at the girl. "Topaz can you…"  
"Yeah she'll be stuck like a pig when I am done." Topaz said, lifting her spear to ready her throw.

"Couldn't they have been killed by mutations… Or traps?"

"Yeah. Or her."

Moments later a cannon sounded, sounding like thunder and stealing the same from Topaz, who scowled. A few sighs of relief sounded around the cluster of tributes, but on of annoyance echoed from Topaz, who drew attention of the rest of the group.

"What the fuck even killed her?" She spat, stabbing the ground viciously.

"Where's Lev?" Garnet asked, looking around in sudden worry, not spotting the boy.

"And Peterson? Where is he?" Jodi questioned next, scanning around, less frantically than Garnett.

"Trying to steal my Lev." Garnett spat, looking out at the treeline, as if the two boys were bound to be in plain sight.

Garnett's theory was corrected when out of the forest, a scream of terror sounded, before the rustle of the trees revealed a figure.

* * *

Levyir stumbled through the undergrowth, a small giggle escaping his lips when Peterson pressed a little too close to him, and the embodiment of Peterson's happiness pressed against his back.

"Y'know Garnett will kill you if he finds out right?" Levyir said, as Peterson pressed the younger boy up against a tree.

"He can try." The older boy returned, before capturing Levyir's lips lightly in a kiss.

Levyir pulled away with a start and raised his eyebrow at Peterson's attempt at seeming stronger than the other boy who was infatuated with him, which he wasn't. "Garnett will break both of your legs and beat you to death with his toothbrush if you so much as look at him funny. What do you think he will do if he sees you kissing me?"

"So you prefer him… I see." Peterson said, the defeated tone in his voice sounding out clearly, despite his attempts to hide it.

"No I was just making sure that you know the risks." Levyir said lightly, before he displayed to Peterson the full extent of his affection.

Levyir wrapped his arms around Peterson's waist, and pressed his slender body up against the larger boy. Before Peterson could even react the boy from district nine pressed his mouth firmly against that of his district eight friend. This kiss was not tender, not soft, but rough and hungry, something that had been withheld for a long time, in reality, it had. Peterson was awestruck as Levyir kissed him like there was no tomorrow, sliding one of his arms up the neck of the other boy, running his fingers desperately through his hair. Peterson simply stood in his embrace for a few moments, totally unable to act, blood rushing to his face and to his groin, something that did not go unnoticed by the smaller boy, despite him being pretty much solid already. When Peterson finally regained some form of control over the situation it was too late. Before he could even think about pushing Levyir away, knowing his family would be watching this, their son get totally dominated, by a younger, thinner boy from a poorer district, a hot, wet tongue entered him mouth and massaged the inside of his lips tenderly. Peterson closed my eyes feeling his knees buckle slightly. It was an explosion of passion and ecstasy in his mouth, he wanted to resist, come out and be the dominant one of the situation, but the heat and fiery passion of the intimate moment took hold of him and he moved his tongue to stroke the underside of the unpredictable teen's, catching him by surprise. Peterson felt him smile against his mouth, then felt one of his hands wander down. All of a sudden he was groping Peterson 's arse, then pressing the crotches of the two boy's together. The hard members clashing together through clothing as if they were blades. Peterson was amazed at how Levyir was still cool to the touch, whilst he himself was sure he was hot as a furnace. Peterson heard a moan, he didn't know if it was him or the other boy, he had lost all control over his body. This tangled, wet embrace of lips lasted for a few, magical moments, before Levyir broke the kiss. He then, keeping a firm hold of Peterson so he couldn't struggle away, not that he needed to, Peterson wasn't going to let this end so quickly, he began kissing Peterson 's jaw, then trailing down his neck. The career felt warmth brush over his skin, biting on his throat. He rolled his eyes back in my head and felt extremes of emotion he had never believed existed. Pleasure. Ecstasy. When Peterson thought he was going to simply melt into the boy's embrace, the tanned teen gently pulled away from him, smiling.

"Mine."

Peterson just groaned in response, when he came to the realisation that the pleasure was not over yet, when Levyir's hands found their way into his shirt, which was removed swiftly, before the soft pink lips of the boy tasted Peterson's chest. Peterson groaned deeply, it was a primitive noise, that made Levyir giggle slightly, before he moved his teeth to gently nip on the nipple of the older boy, who grunted slightly, before moaning at the soothing effect the boy's tongue had. Peterson couldn't take it any longer. One of his hands shot to the back of Levyir's head, the other, to the waistband of his own trousers, pulling the down and letting his hard member, that was now glistening with pre-cum, taste the air. He roughly kissed Levyir, before he guided the boy down to his cock, which took little persuasion, it seemed that Lev was just as hormonal as Peterson was, maybe even more so considering his age. Peterson waited for a moment, letting Levyir take his time to get ready for it, knowing the boy would never be able to take all of Peterson's manhood into his mouth. Though he did try. Peterson felt a nimble tongue graze his glans, making his head shoot back in pleasure, before he was enveloped by a warm cavity, so wet and hot, that Peterson had no control over the moan that shot from his lips. The assault of pleasure continued, driving Peterson closer and closer to the edge, but just seconds before his release was granted, the pleasure stopped, and Levyir stood up, looking into the tree's behind Peterson.

"Don't… Please…" Peterson rasped, unable to contain his pleasure, moving his own hand down to end it.

"I think I heard something…" Levyir said, cuffing his mouth with his hand to remove any access saliva. "I think someone is there…"

"Oh fuck I'm gonna cum."

"So might they…" Levyir whispered, pulling the knife out of his pocket, the same one that he had used to kill Erika.

As Peterson whimpered at his release, a swoosh came from the tree's, though not in the direction that Levyir was looking, but the direction Peterson was spilling his seed in. It was done. Levyir continued his look, only stopping at the thud that came behind, and when he turned, he saw Peterson on the ground, chest in spasm, a spear in his chest.

"No…" Lev whimpered to himself, flashes of Liana coming before his eyes. "No. No no no. Not again… Please don't make me suffer this again." He said slowly, moving down to the ground where Peterson struggled to get his breath.

"I'm sorry." He whispered gently, his eyes looking at the wound that the spear had caused.

"Lev…" Peterson called softly.

"I'm so sorry for everything…" He sobbed, looking down at the blood that ran out of his body.

"Lev…" Peterson begged desperate for the boy to grant him his attention.

"I'm sorry for not being with you…"

"Lev!" Peterson struggled, just loud enough for the younger boy to hear, who brought his eyes to Peterson's face. "I love you."

Levyir leaned towards Peterson. Their lips met, his, blue, cold, and dying. They remained frozen, together, Peterson's body cooling down bar the fire that blazed in his mouth, for what seemed like years. A sudden chill rippled through Levyir's spine as he pulled away from the older boy, whose head lolloped back onto the ground, his wheat blonde hair reminding Levyir of the distant fields of home, his deep green eyes glassy and dim, no longer offering the passion and comfort Peterson had provided in life. He was dead.

"I love you too."

* * *

**Sad. :(**

**It is a regret to see another character go... **

**I don't like killing people.**

**:(**

**Please leave your review. **

**xxx**


	33. Everything Dies

**Sorry for the long wait, but i wanted to make some suspense. XD**  
**Enjoy.**

**xxx**

* * *

Chapter 32. Everything dies

Tree's and leaves, grass and vine, all went past in nothing more than a blur, a blur of green. Levyir ran as hard as he could, but the figure behind him was faster, and gaining. He imagined Topaz, who else could throw a spear like that? Nobody. He ran, trying to put some extra speed into his steps, but he was no career, and Topaz was. She had trained for the games for her entire life, and Levyir hadn't even used the training time allocated for anything useful, other than flirting with two guys, one of which was now dead. He willed the tears not to come, because they would be his definite death, he just kept running. No knowledge of what way he was going helped him either, he just ran, ran as fast as his lithe form would grant him, but the pursuer was gaining. A pang of pain erupted through his body, but it was ignored, he urged his legs to keep moving, though his aching muscles were now in utter agony, his whole body was already ridden with pain. A branch snagged at his shorts, he stumbled. The ground became a certain death and he managed to recover his footing, but doing so had cost him valuable time. It was a while before he physically collapsed from exhaustion, and he was at the lake. A lake that was nothing if not a blessing right now. Clawing the ground to get closer to the body of water, his usually very soft and tender hands chapped by the rough chalky soil, making the delicate lines in his palms become clogged with dirt. Every leaf that rustled in the wind sounded like a cannon, and every lap of water against the edge of the lake became a demonic beacon to his pursuer. The edge of the water became close and the last, feeble few inches allowed Levyir to scramble on his knees, to look in the reflective body of the lake. His entire body became numb and cold, but that was his exhaustion, but peering into the silvery mirror made him want to cry. His once perfectly kept blonde head of hair became a dirt clad mess of tangles and grease, his fringe clasped against his forehead from his own sweat. His once unblemished, tanned face was now white with exhaustion, dried blood crusted over his lips, which he wiped away feebly, in disbelief. He looked at the boy in his reflection, and the boy looked back at him. How had he become this? His exhausted whimpers became feeble sobs, he was breaking down. He had lost Peterson, he had a right to be crying, but that was not the reason. The reason was how utterly hideous he looked, his perfect face was now looking like something that would be seen in the slums of district nine, the people his family employed. The water was disturbed with the teardrops, but it was stopped promptly when the water became a tinge of pink. He looked hard into the pinking water, as a few more beads of red fell into it. He glanced down, and saw it. A crossbow bolt, wedged through his abdomen. When did that get there? He wondered to himself, knowing that the only crossbow in the arena was under his arm. He reached around to his back, and grasped the end of the bolt, pulling it strong and hard, until it surfaced through his back. He rolled round onto his back, the pain was unbelievable, and he was getting cold all over, but it was funny. His raspy breaths became scarce and were replaced by a stream of giggles, before footsteps came from in front of him. He grasped the crossbow at his side, and manoeuvred it to the front of him, where he slotted the pre-loaded bolt into the firing grove that was ready for the bolt. He managed a smile, as the figure came within a metre of him, where he pulled the trigger.

* * *

The rustle of the trees at the front of the camp were shocking, and all of the tributes became masked with the same look, leaving someone to let out a scream of horror. Everybody was thinking the same thing, and as Primrose pattered up to the front of the group, everybody wanted to say the same thing she did, ask that same question, find out that same fact.

"Katniss?" Prim said, in awe at the vision of her older sister stalking through the undergrowth towards her, with an arrow notched and drawn. "Katniss, is it really you? Katniss? Kat…" Prim asked, before the bow was lifted, at her.

Prim wanted to scream, wanted to run, but she knew it had to be an illusion from the gamemakers, her sister would never think of harming her. And upon closer inspection, it was a clear illusion. This Katniss replica had eyes of black. Prim only got a hesitant step backwards, before the arrow streamed through the air, and embedded herself through her throat. Chaos erupted. Someone screamed, loudly, footsteps began pounding in her head, but Prim knew that that didn't matter, because she was going to die. She made a desperate grasp to pull the arrow out of her throat, and was successful, regardless of the agony that it put her through, but then the next step was black. Even with the arrow removed, there was still a hole in her throat. She was still drowning on her own blood. A spear through past her head as she stumbled to the ground, the spear hitting her fake sister in the chest, as a twin spear flew back, from a lanky figure that Prim recognised. Marvel. The spear sailed past her, and hit someone, but who she did not know. It was all far off to Prim. Because she was alone. She was bleeding. She was dying. Things started to grow dark and soon, there was little to look at, other than the blood stained grass she was sprawled out on. She managed a pitiful smile. And then she died.

* * *

A spear flew out of Topaz's hand quicker than lightning, but Alisha didn't stay to look at that, she fled, quickly. Jodi was screaming something to her, but that was it, Alisha didn't need to look back and slow down, she needed to run. She ran as fast as she could, down the open path that would cause the least amount of obstruction, as the forest would snag her skin and tear it to oblivion. Her path however, was stopped. She saw a figure that stood steadfast in her way, in a white peacekeeper uniform. Sonny. Her blood boiled with anger and rage, she lashed out at him with her axe, suddenly oblivious to the carnage that bellowed around her like a storm. She had unfinished business. He had no weapon to fight her back with, but his armour was strong, and her blows glanced off of it, meekly clinging against the metal it was meeting. It was then she realised that this was not actually Sonny, but a mutation from the capitol, a grim mutation. His eyes were black, darker than any shade she had seen before. He had no trace of humanity in them, it was simply two pools of inhumane darkness, no whites, no iris, and if a pupil did lurk within, it was unidentifiable. She drew back hastily, but it was too late for that, now, her battle was started, and would never be ending. A tough, gloved hand grasped the hair at the back of her head, and gave a firm tug, which brought her screaming to the ground in pain, but quick as a flash she swung her axe into her attackers ankle, causing her total surprise when it didn't cleave clean through. The boot of the other leg was quickly sent into her face, cracking her nose with ease, and the force behind the kick made her entire body reel. The white clad figure moved down and took the axe from his leg, which revealed to ooze nothing humane, just a vile black substance that seeped slowly and somewhat evilly. Her body was wrenched up by this figure, who held her up by her neck with ease, strength that nothing human could achieve. It cast her down into the pit that she had started the games in, the pool of blood, landing her squarely on the cement pedestal that she had emerged from. Her back cracked and she let out a scream louder than any cannon could achieve, which rang hollowly through the carnage like a glass smashing in a room of silence. However, her pain was short lived. Surviving with a broken back was impossible, but the next action of this vile creation ensured her survival to be gone. He took her axe, and cast it into the ravine, where it imbedded into her chest as if it was a pin cushion. She let out one, final, raspy breath. Before her head flopped back into the blood that filled the crevice around her. Ending the game where it started.

* * *

Topaz looked at the imitation of Katniss, and smiled, thinking back to her training session, where she destroyed plenty of Mannequins that were the same shape and size as the being she was facing now. Her spear lay discarded to the left of her foot, and she swung down on the head of it, which launched the spear up into her hand in a swift movement. With a smile, she hurled it into her the being with the bow that stood on the other side of the green, the power of her through almost causing some discomfort to her. Almost. The metal spear sailed through the air, and caught her target squarely in the chest, moving right through the body of her and bursting out the other end, with a mess of what should have been blood. It wasn't. It was a viscous black substance that reminded her of the tar that was used on the roads of district one. It thickly splattered on the floor that was behind her as the body fell down to the ground, revealing another figure, which she recognised as much as the first one. Marvel. She simply gawked in shock, and looked around on the floor frantically, as the figure stalked towards her. There was no spear in her vicinity that she could use to defend herself. She glanced around for Garnett, who was also nowhere to be seen.

"Garnett!" She screamed frantically, as the figure that was his brother drew a spear up in his arms. "Garnett"" She screamed again, taking to running in an attempt to get away from the spear.

She tried, but she failed. The spear connected with her flesh at the back of her knee, which shattered instantly, flinging her down to the floor in a wail of utter agony, before the realisation of her survival kicked in. She mad a frantic grab for the spear and grasped it, pulling it out of her destroyed leg with as much power as she could, which caused her to wail all the more.

She tried to use the spear she now had to defend herself, but that was futile. A second spear stuck her through the right shoulder blade, and crushed it, along with any attempts of survival she had. It was agonising how slow her attacker was, right now, Topaz wanted the end to just come. She wanted to die and stop all of the pain that she was feeling. But she was not getting away so easily. This devil that towered over her took a third spear and ran it slowly across her face, cutting a deep gauge in it, making her wail in discomfort, before it took the spear firmly in its hand. And rammed it into her eye.

* * *

Garnett stumbled through the forest, in the direction the figure had come from, because he needed to find Lev. He ran as fast as he could, and would easily catch up to the younger boy, as he had no training in cross country, whilst Garnett did. He tumbled through the mass of trees and other foliage, coming into contact with yet more of it. It was the first time he wished he lived in district seven, where the forests would be a norm, and he would know how to move through them. He also wished that the cross country area of the academy was a forest, not open grassland. After about ten minutes hard running, he came into a clearing, where he heard the unmistakable sound of laughter, not just any laughter, but the laughter that belonged to Levyir. He tumbled forwards clumsily on the damp grass and caught the head of his mace on some of the stones that had been kicked up into the area. It finally occurred to him that he would not need the blunt object anymore. He let the mace fall down with a clang, as he got closer to his boy, who was looking angelic under the sunlight. Although he had blood all over the front of his clothes, blood that looked fresh. Garnett took a couple more steps forward towards Lev, which is when he spotted the crossbow that was in his arms. He tried, to warn him, tried to scream, tried to move, but he didn't. He got hit with the bolt. It seemed to slow down as it flew through the air, splitting the fibres of the jacket and top he was wearing, easing its way through every layer of skin he had, before it struck into the flesh of his heart. Striking it in the same way that very boy had when he first spoke to him. Garnett was dead before he hit the floor, and Levyir was dying. His weak little limbs could not contend with the dead weight of Garnett crushing onto him, and in some ways it was the better way to go. Not the slow, drawn out death from an arrow wound. But his skull being crushed from his own crossbow, a weight brought on from the boy who loved him. The boy he killed. The boy who killed him.

* * *

One… Two… Three… Four… Five. Jodi counted to herself, cowering in the darkness of the cornucopia, her legs to trembling to support her weight. That was it. One two three four five. Garnett Topaz Alisha Levyir and Prim. They were the last five. She should have won. Garnett Topaz Alisha Levyir Prim. Why hadn't she been announced? Was she miscounting? Was there another tribute outside that she had forgotten? No. She hadn't. She had won. And the voice booming around the arena confirmed that.

"Jodi Archer. Congratulations." The booming voice of president Snow echoed around the colossal shell of the arena. "You are the winner of the seventy seventh annual hunger games. Congratulations."  
Jodi felt her eyes well up with tears, making her smile with glee, jumping for joy and punching the air, emerging from the cornucopia with happiness. She had won. Probably the first to win the game without actually taking a weapon. She grinned widely, before the voice of president Snow continued.

"Unfortunately, due to the rebellion led by Katniss Everdeen, the districts are not quite behaving as they should. This factor, combined with the expense of needing to dispose of the corpses of the other tributes, has leaded me to make the decision of incinerating the arena. Sorry for any inconvenience this has had."

Jodi's jaw dropped, and first, she thought, preyed, hoped, that this was all part of a sick joke. But she had no time to realise she was wrong. Crimson jets echoed around the force field that surrounded the dome, before the air caught on fire. Incinerating every particle of oxygen, creating a quick, painless death. One of the few that the game had provided. Destroying everything that had been in the arena, creating a blank canvas of ash for the next game. The bodies of the tributes would never be claimed by family. But in President Snow's eyes. Only one person should emerge from every game alive. So the districts still had seven to pay back. Well only six now. The seventy seventh hunger games. Seven die at the cornucopia. It lasts seven days. Seven were alive for the unleashing of the 'devil' mutations. The first of the seven deaths is paid back to the capitol. Almost poetic.

* * *

**The end. **

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed it, i wanted the ending to be a surprise, and i hope people aren't too upset about it.**

**Please please please review, as it is the last chapter of the story, **

**though i will submit one more as an authors note and a ranking. **

**Thank you. **

**xxx**


	34. Authors note

**I just want to say a big thank you to anyone who read this fiction, and I am very grateful to all of you reviewers. I must also thank the creators of the amazing tributes too.**

* * *

24th- Nathan Beddington- Killed by Magenta.

23rd- Samyal Hames- Killed by Ceres.

22nd- Orchid Whisheart- Killed by Garnett.

21st- Ty Goodwin- Killed by Erika.

20th- Adym Ollyvers- Killed by Topaz.

19th- Magenta Roxenne- Killed by Lucien.

18th- Mychal Kane- Killed by Rhine.

17th- Vayne Harglade- Killed by Lucien.

16th- Enna Emerald- Killed by Ceres.

15th- Franaelle Glassweaver- Killed by gamemakers.

14th- Ceres Sometimes- Killed by Lucien.

13th- Ray Nightheart- Killed by gamemakers.

12th- Rayleigh Caliper- Killed by gamemakers

11th- Lucien Claws- Killed by Alisha.

10th- Erika Cinsero- Killed by Levyir.

9th- Liana Keaten- Killed by Erika.

8th- Rhine Summers- Killed by Alisha.

7th- Peterson Loomer- Killed by mutation.

6th- Primrose Everdeen- Killed by mutation.

5th- Topaz Colton- Killed by mutation.

4th- Alisha Rosa- Killed by mutation.

3rd- Garnett Hayes- Killed by Levyir.

2nd- Levyir Pulse- Killed by Garnett.

1st- Jodi Archer- Killed by gamemakers.

* * *

**Now, I know that I made the mistake of focusing on some tributes more than others, and I regret that. But I will learn from my mistake in my next story like this. I have another story on the go called 'Panem school for the gifted and talented' and if AU highschool is something you would like to read please check my profile. **

**I WILL be making a god forbid. **

**S**

**Y**

**O**

**T**

**Story soon, because I want to prove can learn from my mistakes and I like them.**

**So if you are interested please PM me a tribute. :D**

* * *

Name:

Gender:

District(choose carefully because it will affect more than the reaping):

Age:

Looks:

Personality:

History:

Strengths (Two- Five):

Weaknesses (Two- Five):

Weapon of choice:

Volunteered/Reaped:

Why volunteered/ Reaped reaction:

Reaping clothes:

Reaping quote:

Parade costume (Will choose the best one from the two.):

Training strategy:

Gamemaker display:

Interview strategy:

Fears:

Romances/Sex:

Death(Will try to get as close to this as I can but some will not be as requested):

Anything I have missed:

(NOTE: I missed arena strategy for a reason because it is a special arena.)

* * *

**Please PM your tribute :D**

**Love you all and until next time.**

**xxxx**


End file.
